From Crops to Kilowatts: An Empirical Study on Farmland Conversion to Solar Photovoltaic Systems in Kushida River Basin, Japan

Zhiqiu Xie, S M Asik Ullah and Chika Takatori ()
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Zhiqiu Xie: Graduate School of Design, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 815-8540, Japan
S M Asik Ullah: Faculty of Design, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 815-8540, Japan
Chika Takatori: Faculty of Design, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 815-8540, Japan

Geographies, 2024, vol. 4, issue 2, 1-15

Abstract: In Japan, rural areas are grappling with population decline and aging, leading to a shortage of labor for farmland maintenance. This has resulted in the abandonment of farmland or its conversion for solar photovoltaic (PV) use. However, this unplanned conversion raises concerns about agricultural productivity decline, landscape degradation, biodiversity loss, water resource maintenance, and disaster prevention. This study focuses on the Kushida watershed, examining (1) accurate farmland classification using remote sensing data, (2) the geographical distribution of farmland converted to PV systems from 2016 to 2021 and concentrated along the river, especially on north-facing slopes, (3) the highest conversion rates in wheat fields, followed by legume fields, tea fields, and paddy fields, and (4) no clear correlation between farmland conversions and changes in the number of farmers, but associations with farmland geography and solar radiation levels. These findings contribute to a nuanced understanding of sustainable rural development in Japan, emphasizing the importance of considering geographical factors in the conversion of farmland to PV.

Keywords: land use change; farmland; machine learning; remote sensing; photovoltaic systems (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q15 Q5 Q53 Q54 Q56 Q57 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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