Thematic Maps for Land-Use Planning and Policy Decisions in the Calaggio Stream Catchment Area

Thematic maps of elevation, slope angle, lithology, soil slips and landslides, land-use and stream erosional effects are presented for the description of the geoenvironmental features of the Calaggio Stream catchment area. The Calaggio basin is 314 km(2) and is located in the Campanian Apennines (Southern Italy) between the Campania and Puglia regions. The maps were produced within a Geographical Information System (GIS) based on a Digital Elevation Model (DEM) derived from cartographic digitization. The maps presented report the main territorial features of the studied area, which will be used for landuse management and mapping of: landslides and susceptibility to water runoff erosion, desertification vulnerability, landscape conservation, Physical Environmental and Territorial Unit determinations (PET Unit sensu Amatucci et al., 2005), etc. In this paper we show, as a final product of various GIS environment operations, the PET Unit map related to the landsliding and water runoff erosional effects of the Calaggio Stream catchment area. The contents of the map are schematised using several characteristics and intended for land-use planning and policies for soil preservation. It also provides geoenvironmental data that are mostly indicative of local degradation. If we suppose the existence of a strong synergy between local administrators or/and technicians and residents, the map produced can become a useful tool of territorial governance and policy in order to mitigate and reduce soil degradation.