A Spatial Optimization Model for Sustainable Land Use at Regional Level in China: A Case Study for Poyang Lake Region

Wenbo Chen, Gerrit J. Carsjens, Lihong Zhao and Haifeng Li
Additional contact information
Wenbo Chen: Research Centre for Environmental and Landscape Ecology, Jiangxi Agricultural University, 1101 Zhimin Road, Nanchang 330045, China
Gerrit J. Carsjens: Land Use Planning Group, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 47, Wageningen 6700 AA, The Netherlands
Lihong Zhao: Research Centre for Environmental and Landscape Ecology, Jiangxi Agricultural University, 1101 Zhimin Road, Nanchang 330045, China
Haifeng Li: Research Centre for Environmental and Landscape Ecology, Jiangxi Agricultural University, 1101 Zhimin Road, Nanchang 330045, China

Sustainability, 2014, vol. 7, issue 1, 1-21

Abstract: Economic growth in China is accompanied by many problems, such as rapid deterioration of the environment and a sharp decline in the area of arable land. China’s current land-use planning system fails to deal with these problems, especially at the regional level. The lack of sustainable spatial allocation at regional level has become a pressing problem. This article aims to: (1) analyze the reason why sustainable land use at the regional level is difficult to achieve under the current Chinese land-use planning system; (2) put forward a regional optimization model for sustainable land use; and (3) explore the usefulness and possibility of the future application of the model in supporting land-use planning. The model has been applied in a case study for the Poyang Lake Region, Jiangxi Province in China. Based on predictions of the demand of land in 2015, three single-objective scenarios were constructed: food production oriented, nature conservation oriented and economic growth oriented. An optimized, multi-objective pattern of sustainable land use was achieved by integrating the three single-objective scenarios. The relevance and applicability of the model were discussed with planning experts and practitioners. The results indicate that the model can contribute to a more sustainable regional land-use planning in China. However, the results also show a need for further research on how to embed wider social and economic aspects in the model.

Keywords: land-use planning; regional planning; land-use pattern optimization; GIS; China (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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