Assessment of critical land using geographic information systems - A case study of Limboto watershed, Gorontalo

Abstract

Limboto is one of the watersheds in Indonesia that have suffered considerable damage. The degradation of Limboto Watershed was caused by extended land allocation for dry land agriculture that does not regard conservation practices, especially for corn as the main commodity from Gorontalo. Watershed degradation is directly proportional to an increase in critical land affected by various factors, which are land use, slope, and soil erosion. The aim of this research is to assess and to represent the spatial distribution of critical land in the Limboto Watershed based on the Directorate-General of Watershed Management and Forest Protection Regulation Number P.3/PDASHL/SET/KUM.1/7/2018 on the Technical Guidelines for the Drafting Spatial Data on Critical Land. The factors of critical land were collected and processed through a geographic information system (GIS)-based approach. The results of this study indicated that the Limboto Watershed is dominated by land of rather critical class. This provides useful information for decision makers and the local government to take appropriate land management measures in Limboto Watershed.