Can Adaptive Governance Promote Coupling Social-Ecological Systems? Evidence from the Vulnerable Ecological Region of Northwestern China

Yanzi Wang, Chunming Wu, Yongfeng Gong and Zhen Zhu
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Yanzi Wang: School of Economics and Management, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430078, China
Chunming Wu: Academy of Science and Technology Development, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China
Yongfeng Gong: Land and Resources Investigation and Monitoring Institute, Department of Natural Resources of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Yinchuan 640104, China
Zhen Zhu: School of Economics and Management, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430078, China

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 20, 1-19

Abstract: Adaptive governance is increasingly considered a feasible approach to address the uncertainties and complexities of social-ecological system (SES), whereas its role on SES coupling has not been sufficiently testified. Empirical evidence is provided in this paper with the case of northwestern China, a region struggling with economic backwardness and ecological vulnerability. Given the ambiguities in scholarship on the causal relationship between adaptive governance and SES coupling, we develop a theoretical framework to outline the driving mechanism of adaptive governance by focusing on its impact on ecosystem service (ES) delivery. Within the framework, ecosystem governance and social system governance are identified as pathways of adaptive governance, which are estimated on their effects on SES coupling by FGLS. The results show that (1) only the synergy of them can positively promote SES coupling rather than isolated one of them, and (2) only social system governance presents a lustrous role in restraining the effect of resource-dependence on SES coupling as opposed to ecosystem governance. The practice of northwestern China again evidences its key leader’s role in seizing the opportunity window and social innovation. The results further uncover the necessity of synthesizing the social and ecological dimensions for shaping adaptive governance and the direction of targeted reforms for catalyzing the transition to adaptive governance.

Keywords: social-ecological system; coupling coordination degree; adaptive governance; ecological vulnerability; Northwestern China (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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