Evaluating the Sustainable Land Use in Ecologically Fragile Regions: A Case Study of the Yellow River Basin in China

Wentao Niu, Jingyi Shi, Zhenzhen Xu, Tianxi Wang, Hexiong Zhang and Xiaoshan Su
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Wentao Niu: Research Center for Economic Development and Environment of the Yellow River Basin, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
Jingyi Shi: Research Center for Economic Development and Environment of the Yellow River Basin, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
Zhenzhen Xu: School of Architecture and Built Environment, Deakin University, Geelong 3219, Australia
Hexiong Zhang: College of Public Administration, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China
Xiaoshan Su: Research Center for Economic Development and Environment of the Yellow River Basin, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 6, 1-23

Abstract: How to realize the sustainable use of land resources is extremely important for environmental protection and sustainable development in ecologically fragile regions. Nevertheless, the logic of achieving sustainable land use (SLU) in ecologically fragile regions and the corrective mechanisms for the implementation of land use efficiency systems are not fully revealed in theory. The Yellow River Basin is an important ecological barrier in China, and it holds an important position in China’s economic and social development, as well as for ecological safety. However, the basin is also ecologically vulnerable. Therefore, investigating eight central cities in the Yellow River Basin of China and using municipal-level panel data from 2009 to 2018, this paper constructs a multidimensional index system and is dedicated to carrying out a comprehensive evaluation of SLU and the diagnosis of obstacle factors in ecologically fragile regions. The study found the following: (1) From 2009 to 2018, the SLU level in the central cities of the Yellow River Basin evolved from the “Unsustainable Level” to the “Initial Sustainable Level” and then to the “Basic Sustainable Level”. The overall development trend was positive, and the level of SLU also rose. (2) From 2009 to 2018, there was significant geographical variation in spatial disparities in SLU in the central cities of the Yellow River Basin. In 2018, the average comprehensive score of SLU showed a pattern of downstream > upstream > midstream. (3) The obstacle factors of SLU in the Yellow River Basin of these cities in 2009 were concentrated on resource and environmental sustainability, while those in 2018 were concentrated on social acceptability. (4) In terms of the transfer process of land use types in these Yellow River Basin cities, the transfer from cultivated land to other types of land use played a major role, while construction land showed a significant expansion over the past ten years.

Keywords: Yellow River Basin; central cities; sustainable land use; obstacle factors; China (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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