Spatial Resilience Differentiation and Governance Strategies of Traditional Villages in the Qinba Mountains, China

Yiqi Li, Binqing Zhai (), Peiyao Wang, Daniele Villa and Erica Ventura
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Yiqi Li: School of Human Settlements and Civil Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China
Binqing Zhai: School of Human Settlements and Civil Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China
Peiyao Wang: School of Human Settlements and Civil Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China
Daniele Villa: Department of Architecture and Urban Studies (DASTU), Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milan, Italy
Erica Ventura: Department of Architecture and Urban Studies (DASTU), Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milan, Italy

Land, 2025, vol. 14, issue 9, 1-26

Abstract: The Qinba Mountain Region in southern Shaanxi, China, is both a key ecological barrier and a repository of cultural heritage, yet its traditional villages remain highly vulnerable to natural disasters. Disaster-relocation policies have reduced direct exposure to hazards but also created challenges such as settlement hollowing and weakening of cultural continuity. However, systematic studies on the resilience mechanisms of these villages and a corresponding governance framework remain limited. This study applies social–ecological resilience theory to evaluate the resilience of 57 nationally recognized traditional villages. Using a combination of Morphological Spatial Pattern Analysis (MSPA), the entropy weight method, and the geographical detector model, we construct a three-dimensional evaluation framework encompassing terrain adaptability, hazard exposure, and ecological sensitivity. The results show that the Terrain Adaptability Index (TAI) is the dominant driver of resilience, with an explanatory power of q = 0.61, while the interaction of Hazard Exposure Index (HEI, q = 0.58) and Ecological Sensitivity Index (ESI, q = 0.49) produces a nonlinear enhancement effect, significantly increasing vulnerability. Approximately 83% of villages adopt a “peripheral attachment–core avoidance” strategy, and 57% of high-resilience villages (CRI ≥ 0.85) rely on traditional clan-based networks and drainage systems to offset ecological fragility. Based on these differentiated resilience characteristics, the study proposes a three-tiered governance framework of core protection areas–ecological restoration zones–cultural corridors. While this framework demonstrates broad applicability, its findings are context-specific to the Qinba Mountains. Future studies should apply the model to other mountainous regions and integrate dynamic simulation methods to assess climate change impacts, thereby expanding the generalizability of resilience governance strategies.

Keywords: social–ecological resilience; mountainous traditional villages; spatial resilience; disaster adaptability; governance strategy; Qinba Mountains (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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