Highlights

Asia is expected to experience population growth, followed by a declining trend, that will likely result in unpredictable socio-economic change presenting new challenges for land management. Sustainable land and natural resource management will play a crucial role in addressing these issues in the region. In particular, assessing the multifunctionality of land is necessary to consider regional sustainability.

Recommendations:

• Employ a land-use function (LUF) approach to enable policymakers to assess impacts on the performance of multiple functions associated with land-use change, including the economic, environmental, and societal impacts
• Conduct participatory assessments of LUFs, enabling the involvement of stakeholders at multiple levels, including policymakers, researchers, and landowners, and allowing local contexts to be reflected in the quantitative assessment of land management and practices
• In regional land-use policy, explore plausible futures considering the three dimensions of LUFs — economic, environmental, and societal