Evaluating the Sustainable Development Level of Local Communities Within Hunan Nanshan National Park, China

Lu Bai, Yan Chen, Yaping Cui, Chunting Feng, Chen Wu, Bingran Ma, Weiyang Zhao, Chenxingyu Duan and Wei Wang ()
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Lu Bai: State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
Yan Chen: Hunan Nanshan National Park Administration, Shaoyang 422000, China
Yaping Cui: State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
Chunting Feng: State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
Chen Wu: State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
Bingran Ma: State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
Weiyang Zhao: State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
Chenxingyu Duan: School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
Wei Wang: State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China

Land, 2025, vol. 14, issue 9, 1-18

Abstract: National parks play a crucial role in promoting the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and have become one of the key topics of global concern and discussion. However, it is still unclear whether national park development can effectively enhance the level of sustainable development in local communities related to social and economic dimensions of SDGs. In this study, we constructed an evaluation system based on the SDG assessment indicator framework, to evaluate the sustainable development level of local communities within Hunan Nanshan National Park (NSNP), China. We assessed the development level of various SDG indicators through field visits and structured surveys of local communities inside and around HNNP. We used the entropy method to determine the weight of each indicator and calculated the integrated development index of different communities within and around NSNP. The results indicate the following: (1) The integrated development index of communities within NSNP is generally lower than that of the surrounding communities, but it scores higher in the dimensions of SDG1 and SDG10. (2) The integrated development index within NSNP shows the highest in communities within original natural park, but the lowest in communities within original nature reserve. (3) The structured questionnaire surveys reveal that the primary cause of income decline of residents within NSNP is the restriction on land-use and resource exploitation, while ecological compensation and employment opportunities related to national park management can help improve local livelihoods and thereby promote development level of local communities. This study provides a technical framework for assessing the sustainable development of local communities in Chinese national parks and supports regional planning. It also offers a scientific basis for balancing national park conservation with local community development.

Keywords: Sustainable Development Goals; nature reserves; natural parks; conservation effectiveness; ecological compensation; ecotourism; Hunan Nanshan National Park (China) (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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