Human Pressure on Land - The Changing Case of the Thiruvananthapuram District of Kerala

Assessing the human pressure on land is an important parameter for establishing sustainable development plans. Population density, distribution, and growth, man-land ratio, household density, occupational structure, urbanization and land use pattern and its changes are the important parameters that can be used to identify the human pressure on the available land. This study is based on the situations of Thiruvananthapuram, the Capital district of the state of Kerala. Data sources used are mainly secondary like census reports, Survey of India [SOI] Topographical maps, and Satellite imageries. The study showed that the total population of the district is increasing along with the density of population which results in a declining man-land ratio. As a result the household density is also accelerating. The changes in the agriculture oriented occupational structure promote rapid urbanization thereby increasing the human pressure. Land use pattern and its changes is the best indicator for identifying the nature and extent of human pressure on land and also support the argument.