China’s response to a national land-system sustainability emergency

Brett A. Bryan (), Lei Gao, Yanqiong Ye, Xiufeng Sun, Jeffery D. Connor, Neville D. Crossman, Mark Stafford-Smith, Jianguo Wu, Chunyang He, Deyong Yu, Zhifeng Liu, Ang Li, Qingxu Huang, Hai Ren, Xiangzheng Deng, Hua Zheng, Jianming Niu, Guodong Han and Xiangyang Hou
Additional contact information
Brett A. Bryan: Deakin University
Lei Gao: CSIRO, Waite Campus
Yanqiong Ye: CSIRO, Waite Campus
Xiufeng Sun: CSIRO, Waite Campus
Jeffery D. Connor: CSIRO, Waite Campus
Neville D. Crossman: CSIRO, Waite Campus
Mark Stafford-Smith: CSIRO, Black Mountain
Jianguo Wu: Beijing Normal University
Chunyang He: Beijing Normal University
Deyong Yu: Beijing Normal University
Zhifeng Liu: Beijing Normal University
Ang Li: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Qingxu Huang: Beijing Normal University
Hai Ren: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Hua Zheng: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Jianming Niu: Inner Mongolia University
Guodong Han: Inner Mongolia Agricultural University
Xiangyang Hou: Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences

Nature, 2018, vol. 559, issue 7713, 193-204

Abstract: Abstract China has responded to a national land-system sustainability emergency via an integrated portfolio of large-scale programmes. Here we review 16 sustainability programmes, which invested US$378.5 billion (in 2015 US$), covered 623.9 million hectares of land and involved over 500 million people, mostly since 1998. We find overwhelmingly that the interventions improved the sustainability of China’s rural land systems, but the impacts are nuanced and adverse outcomes have occurred. We identify some key characteristics of programme success, potential risks to their durability, and future research needs. We suggest directions for China and other nations as they progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations’ Agenda 2030.

Date: 2018
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DOI: 10.1038/s41586-018-0280-2

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