Defining rural-urban interfaces for understanding ecohydrological processes in West Java, Indonesia: Part I. Development of methodology to delineate peri-urban areas

Urbanisation within global economic and socio-political settings has created rural-urban interfaces, or peri-urban areas, where ecosystem interactions are complex. It is now recognised that the rural-urban interface dichotomy in the current planning and management approaches does not adequately account for the rural-urban interface linkages, particularly for potential emerging conflicts in land and water demands and uses. Using the Cirebon Metropolitan Region (CMR), West Java, Indonesia as a case study, Part I of this two-part article aims to develop a suitable methodology for peri-urban delineation. We used a total of 11 social, economic and spatial variables directly or indirectly related to ecohydrology. Multivariate, univariate and multiple univariate data analysis techniques were used for defining regional rural-urban interfaces. Based on these analyses, eight regional classifications of rural-urban interfaces were proposed and evaluated based on different spatial classification methods and clustering techniques. The results of classification were mapped by integrating both Geographic Information System (GIS) and statistical methods. The study indicates that with the variable included, the multiple univariate clusters using Jenks natural breaks and scoring provides more accurate rural-urban definitions for peri-urban delineation. The proposed methodology provides a suitable framework for delineation of peri-urban areas needed for quantifying ecohydrological state in urbanising landscapes.