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The CRIES Resource Information System: Computer-aided spatial 
analysis of resource development potential and development policy 
alternatives 
Gerhardus Schultink 
Comprehensive Resource Inventory and Evaluation System (CRIES) Project, Michigan State University, East Lansing, USA 
ABSTRACT: This paper addresses analytical procedures and two of the 
major micro computer-based software modules of the Comprehensive 
Resource Inventory and Evaluation System (CRIES) Resource Information 
System (RIS). System objectives, the land evaluation framework and 
selected outputs of the CRIES Geographic Information System (CRIES-GIS) 
and the the CRIES Agro-economic Information System (CRIES-AIS) are 
discussed using selected examples from developing countries. 
Co database sys- 
Addison-Wesley. 
iphic data base: 
n Kavalinas and 
rto II, Intern. 
.1985, p.523-538. 
ta structure for 
n H. Freeman and 
Processing. New 
systems: Thematic 
213-221. 
iormation systems 
Survey). Working 
it on, Bureau of 
tem for monitor- 
Ltemporal Landsat 
A digital eleva- 
)ap derived from 
, p. 1937-1944. 
i systems a net- 
IS Coord. Proj. 
asury, 31 p. 
An evaluation of 
red raster data, 
age, Sept. 1986. 
ster format for 
Fall Technical 
VSYL database for 
Symp. on Spatial 
II, p. 574-575. 
can aid naviga- 
P.E.R.S., 48:2, 
at imagery for 
Lng in the Rocky 
-200. 
Spatial filtering 
iction of mapping 
posium on Remote 
f5. Cartographic 
. 2:1, p. 55-69. 
>f digital multi 
classification. 
ial of SPOT image 
valuations of the 
tic potential of 
apper image data. 
Specific emphasis is given to the use of the integrated spatial data 
base, maintained in the GIS system and the AIS-YIELD and AIS-MULBUD 
model used to assess comparative production advantage. YIELD provides 
the capability to predict yield for a large number of food and export 
crops for user-selected locations and agro-eco1og ica 1 zones. MULBUD 
provides multiple enterprise analysis of short and long season crops to 
determine economic returns resulting from farming systems options 
representing Land Utilization Types (LUT's) 
In combination with other CRIES-RIS modules and the established data 
base, the YIELD model provides the user with the analytical framework 
to evaluate physical and socio-economic attributes by location, and 
determine the comparative advantage of sites for land use alternatives. 
Farming systems, and regional or national aggregates can also be 
evaluated with regards to their optimum performance characteristics and 
resulting socio-economic benefits derived under alternative land use 
and development policy scenarios. 
1. INTRODUCTION 
The Comprehensive Resource Information and 
Evaluation System (CRIES) Project encompasses 
a systematic resource analysis approach to 
evaluate public and private benefits derived 
from alternative land use options and policy 
scenarios. Examples in the developing world 
include the creation of food self-sufficiency 
while meeting rural employment requirements 
or meeting balance of payment goals through 
the expansion and/or intensification of the 
production of food and cash crops, resulting 
in increased exports of agricultural 
commodities and import substitution. 
The resource evaluation methodology employed 
by CRIES represents an effort to develop, 
adapt, and document general procedures to 
inventory, classify and analyze current land 
use, its distribution, extent, and 
development potential of agricultural and 
natural resources for development planning. 
CRIES has three general objectives: 
a) to apply a consistent approach to land 
resource assessment which is adaptable to 
many countries and suitable for the transfer 
of appropriate agrotechnology; 
b) to provide assistance in integrated 
surveys, development of a computer 
compatible resource data base and computer- 
aided analysis software suitable for 
the analysis of development options and 
policy evaluation; and 
c) to provide the training and technical 
assistance necessary to develop indigenous 
capabilities to inventory and classify 
renewable resources, to 
production potential, 
systematically evaluate 
alternatives and derived 
private benefits. 
assess crop 
and to 
development 
public and 
This evaluative framework is supported by 
computer-aided procedures designed to 
systematically delineate agro-ecologica1 
production zones (the so-called Resource 
Planning Units or RPU's), representing areas 
with physical characteristics considered 
relatively homogeneous at the level of detail 
supported by the land evaluation. These RPU's 
can be related to existing land uses, 
associated farming systems and estimated crop 
production potential based on existing and 
alternative land utilization types and 
associated enterprises identified. 
The difference between current land use and 
resource production potential, expressed in 
crop yields or economic terms, such as "land 
rent" is defined as "unrealized production 
potential," a first approximation of the 
quantitative magnitude of development 
potential to meet critical policy objectives.