Evaluation of environmental carrying capacity based on land capability for agriculture development in the Melolo Transmigration Area, East Sumba

Abstract

One way to do equitable development is to grow activity centers in an area. Transmigration is one of the government programs implemented to foster new activity centers in less developed areas. At present, Development Area Unit B of the Melolo Transmigration Area is a development priority to grow the area in the central part of East Sumba. The construction of transmigration settlements has been carried out since 2010 for settlement and agriculture, so it is necessary to evaluate the environmental carrying capacity to determine the suitability of land cover and land use to land capability. The method used is to compare land capability with land cover and land use and then assess its suitability. Based on the results of the analysis it is known that land capability in Development Area Unit B Melolo Transmigration Area is divided into four land capability classes, namely land capability classes I, II, III, and IV. Comparison of land capability with land cover and land use are included in the suitable criteria of 72.60 %, conditionally suitable at 23.11 %, and not suitable at 4.30 %. These results indicate that the environmental carrying capacity has not exceeded the threshold and requires conservation measures for agricultural development.