Land Governance and Fragmentation Patterns of Agricultural Land Use in Southern Romania during 1990–2020

Diana Dogaru, Alexandru-Ionut Petrisor (), Claudiu-Valeriu Angearu, Laura Lupu and Dan Bălteanu
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Diana Dogaru: Institute of Geography of the Romanian Academy, D. Racoviță 12, 023993 Bucharest, Romania
Alexandru-Ionut Petrisor: Doctoral School of Urban Planning, Ion Mincu University of Architecture and Urbanism, Academiei 18-20, 010014 Bucharest, Romania
Claudiu-Valeriu Angearu: National Meteorological Administration, București-Ploiești 97, 013686 Bucharest, Romania
Laura Lupu: Institute of Geography of the Romanian Academy, D. Racoviță 12, 023993 Bucharest, Romania
Dan Bălteanu: Institute of Geography of the Romanian Academy, D. Racoviță 12, 023993 Bucharest, Romania

Land, 2024, vol. 13, issue 7, 1-20

Abstract: In Romania, excessive fragmentation of croplands remains persistent in areas of significant agricultural potential as a consequence of combined factors involving both land governance and farms’ characteristics. This paper examines the fragmentation of agricultural land use in the Romanian Plain, focusing on the impact of land policies implemented in Romania during the past three decades. The analysis relies on a survey of local policies that helps to distinguish three phases that marked the evolution of the fragmentation of agricultural land during 1990–2020. Additionally, metrics derived from remote sensing time series further assist in capturing the fragmentation levels during the identified phases and the spatial differences for the analyzed period. The fragmentation levels appear strikingly contrasting between the western part of the Romanian Plain and the Danube alluvial areas; this has been attributed as being the joint result of various land governance components which both enabled and constrained proper utilization of agricultural land, and concurrent factors related to economic and sociodemographic changes. We find excessive fragmentation emerged in plain field areas, triggered by the high overall rates of institutional change. The findings underscore the importance of jointly considering the fragmentation phenomenon in its evolution, intensity and spatial differences for effective land use policy formulation, emphasizing the need for proactive governance to support the efficient use of agricultural resources.

Keywords: fragmentation of agricultural land use; land governance; remote sensing derived metrics; spatial differences; Romania (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jlands:v:13:y:2024:i:7:p:1084-:d:1437966

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