Sustainable Revitalization and Green Development Practices in China’s Northwest Arid Areas: A Case Study of Yanchi County, Ningxia

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Through a study case in China’s northwest arid area, Yanchi County, the authors aim to address the poverty alleviation and rural revitalisation dilemma.

The goal is to get to a collection of evidence by applying the theoretical model they have created and, in the end, give the readers a set of policy recommendations and a best practice for real.

 

The work is written in plain American English. Aside from a few typos and a few sentences that look hard to read, by and large, the research design is appropriate. The introduction does provide a complete background, and the methodology- even if not new, is well described.

What put my attention was the relevance of the references.

 

Minor flaws are as follows:

• There are a few typos, such as in line 18 (the punctuation mark is wrong) and lines 111 and 128. Check out for more.
• Some sentences are hard to read: lines 12 to 15, lines 132 to 133 (looks like a loop), and line 135, the word "work" should not be repeated again and again. The same goes for "land" in lines 148 to 149
• Line 166 T-P-G appears in the text with no further explanation or being mentioned in the above lines.

 

Majors:

• Some references in the Introduction and the other sections look inconsistent. For instance, references n. 1 and 2 are Nature comments; none mention that "villages interact and support each other" the same is for references n. 3 and 4, the first looks inconsistent with the authors' claim that "village is a regional system ... " and the other one is in Chinese; therefore, I cannot say (my apologies for being poorly acquainted with the Chinese language). Reference n. 21 refers to a Journal that does not appear in Scimago. Being this work a theoretical reflection also, references are even more critical. My advice to the authors is to review the entire list of references looking for more consistent journals.
•  The article offers some good points for reflection, and the figures look of genuine interest to readers. Nevertheless, some conclusions and thoughts should be expanded, for instance, in the lines from 256 to 262, how the authors match photovoltaic popular science tour- 259 ism and rural experience tourism. Moreover, is the goal to get the villagers rich, really? Why is public participation limited to the game between the farmhouse and sheep industry in Figure 5?
• Finally, how do the authors figure out the mechanism to unleash the full play to market (lines 365 and 382) should work?

Author Response

Dear editor

Thanks a lot for having reviewed our manuscript. Your comments were highly insightful and enabled us to greatly improve the quality of our manuscript. In the following pages are our point-by-point responses to each of the comments. Most of the revisions are in the manuscript. Some explanations regarding the revisions of our manuscript are as follows.

 

Response to Reviewer 1:

Thanks a lot for your comments on our paper. We have revised our paper according to your comments:

 

1、There are a few typos, such as in line 18 (the punctuation mark is wrong) and lines 111 and 128. Check out for more.

 

Answer: Thank you very much for the careful suggestion. We uniformly revise typos and revise all the manuscript.

 

2、Some sentences are hard to read: lines 12 to 15, lines 132 to 133 (looks like a loop), and line 135, the word "work" should not be repeated again and again. The same goes for "land" in lines 148 to 149.

 

Answer: We quite agree with you, and revise all the manuscript. The revisions are in the manuscript.

 

3、Line 166 T-P-G appears in the text with no further explanation or being mentioned in the above lines.

 

Answer: Thank you very much for the question. We have added T-P-G (strategic target, core power and mechanism guarantee).

 

4、Some references in the Introduction and the other sections look inconsistent. For instance, references n. 1 and 2 are Nature comments; none mention that "villages interact and support each other" the same is for references n. 3 and 4, the first looks inconsistent with the authors' claim that "village is a regional system ... " and the other one is in Chinese; therefore, I cannot say (my apologies for being poorly acquainted with the Chinese language). Reference n. 21 refers to a Journal that does not appear in Scimago. Being this work a theoretical reflection also, references are even more critical. My advice to the authors is to review the entire list of references looking for more consistent journals.

 

Answer: We quite agree with expert's opinion. We modify the entire list of references and the statement of the full paper. According to the advice given by expert, we replaced and add some references to 44. Cities and villages interacted with each other and support each other[1,2].

 

1. Liu, Y.; Li, Y. Revitalize the world’s countryside. Nature 2017,548 (7667), 275.
2. Liu, Y. Research on the urban-rural integration and rural revitalization in the new era in China. Acta Geographica Sinica 2018, 73 (4), 637–650 (in Chinese).

 

 

5、The article offers some good points for reflection, and the figures look of genuine interest to readers. Nevertheless, some conclusions and thoughts should be expanded, for instance, in the lines from 256 to 262, how the authors match photovoltaic popular science tour- 259 ism and rural experience tourism. Moreover, is the goal to get the villagers rich, really?

 

Answer: Thank you very much for the careful suggestion. According to the advice given by experts, we add examples related to photovoltaic science tourism. In addition, efforts have been made to explore the integration of agriculture, culture and tourism, and raising sheep under photovoltaic panels, so as to develop the collective economy and broaden the channels for villagers to get rich.

By integrating various project funds such as cultural tourism and demonstration village construction, tourism reception center, tourism toilet, cultural stage, folk culture corridor, tourism experience mill and other tourism supporting facilities have been built. The next step is to develop photovoltaic science popularization tourism and rural experience tourism, integrate tourism, science popularization, experience and entertainment into cultural tourism elements, and comprehensively develop "food, housing, transportation, travel, shopping and entertainment".

 

6、Why is public participation limited to the game between the farmhouse and sheep industry in Figure 5?

 

Answer: Thank you very much for the question. Since public participation involves all aspects, we have changed to village cooperative.

Figure 5. The Photovoltaic industry drives integrated development mode in Changliudun village.

 

 

We will try our best to revise the paper!

Thanks a lot again for having reviewed our manuscript.

 

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 2 Report

The topic is interesting “Sustainable revitalization and green development practices in China's northwest arid areas: A case study of Yanchi County, Ningxia” and the authors have done a great job in realizing the subject. However, there are a few areas on the paper that is still lagging and should be addressed properly.

The research gap/novelty of this study is not clear, I suggest to authors improve the contribution of the study.

Improve Figure 1. Not present in screenshot.

Improve Conclusions and suggest effective policy implications.

Author Response

Dear editor

Thanks a lot for having reviewed our manuscript. Your comments were highly insightful and enabled us to greatly improve the quality of our manuscript. In the following pages are our point-by-point responses to each of the comments. Most of the revisions are in the manuscript. Some explanations regarding the revisions of our manuscript are as follows.

 

 

Response to Reviewer 2:

Thanks a lot for your affirmation of our research results and carefully comments on our paper. We have revised according to your comments:

 

1、The research gap/novelty of this study is not clear, I suggest to authors improve the contribution of the study.

Answer: Thank you very much for the careful suggestion. The main contribution of this study is to explore the causes of development poverty alleviation and rural revitalization in China's northwest arid areas and investigate the mechanism of sustainable poverty alleviation in empirical case analysis, and then put forward the green development path and mode that are conducive to realizing structure optimization and function improvement in arid areas. We have revised in the manuscript.

 

2、Improve Figure 1. Not present in screenshot.

Answer: We have paid attention to this issue. According to expert opinions, we have improved the display of the graph and provided an editable vector graph.

 

3、Improve Conclusions and suggest effective policy implications.

 

Answer: Thank you very much for the careful suggestion. According to policy recommendations, the conclusion part is further expanded. The revisions are in the manuscript.

Protecting the living environment in arid areas, promoting the sustainable use of natural resources, and achieving regional sustainable development are important policies for consolidating poverty-stricken achievements and promoting rural revitalization in the new era. It is necessary to adhere to the path of comprehensive development and green development, develop conservation oriented agriculture, circular agriculture and ecological agriculture according to the requirements of high-quality construction, strengthen ecological environment protection, combine the consolidation of poverty alleviation achievements with environmental governance and ecological protection, and avoid the vicious circle of " poverty - ecological environment destruction - natural disasters - poverty ".

 

We will try our best to revise the paper!

Thanks a lot again for having reviewed our manuscript.

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 3 Report

Dear authors,

the presented research answers several questions that play important role to help with imbalance in the urban-rural economic development. The essential subject concerns the poverty alleviation policies, the paper investigates the efficiency of the implemented measures and plans for the further acts.

The presented material gives sufficient information about the research background and results, but the methodology could be explained more in detail. 

Despite the general positive opinion, the article provokes several questions:

- is the rural life concentrated on the agriculture? What are other roles that the rural areas can play for people (landscape, patriotism, tourism, etc.)?

- what is the influence of the innovative technologies in the agricultural sector on the rural life, prosperity, etc.? And what is the impact on the decrease of number of human resource which is necessary to be employed in the agricultural sector? 

- what are the consequences of the depopulation of rural areas? The negative ones and also what are the positive consequences?

There are several formal remarks to correct:

lines 44-45 - "weak degradation" means "weak development", "considerable decline" or slight decrease?

line 72 - the Web-link does not give access to http://www.qstheory.cn/dukan/qs

The article represents significant research with clear and useful implications, it deserves publication with minor corrections: please, introduce the answers to the mentioned doubts. 

Good luck, hope to see the article published soon.

Author Response

Dear editor

Thanks a lot for having reviewed our manuscript. Your comments were highly insightful and enabled us to greatly improve the quality of our manuscript. In the following pages are our point-by-point responses to each of the comments. Most of the revisions are in the manuscript. Some explanations regarding the revisions of our manuscript are as follows.

 

 

Response to Reviewer 3:

Thanks a lot for your affirmation of our research results and carefully comments on our paper. We have revised according to your comments:

 

1、- is the rural life concentrated on the agriculture? What are other roles that the rural areas can play for people (landscape, patriotism, tourism, etc.)?

Answer: Thank you very much for the careful suggestion. Rural life is not concentrated on the agriculture by introducing innovative technology and developing characteristic agriculture, and agriculture is a basic industry.  According to different rural functional attributes, landscape type rural areas rely on resource endowment to develop characteristic industries; patriotism type rural areas can develop patriotic red cultural industries, such as revolutionary places, martyrs' former residences; Beautiful scenery and characteristic farmhouse can drive tourism consumption in tourism type rural areas.

 

2、- what is the influence of the innovative technologies in the agricultural sector on the rural life, prosperity, etc.? And what is the impact on the decrease of number of human resource which is necessary to be employed in the agricultural sector? 

Answer: We have paid attention to this issue. Innovative technology can empower agriculture, increase farmers' employment opportunities, drive economic development and promote rural revitalization. Innovative technology has a mitigating effect on the decrease in the employment of talents.

3、- what are the consequences of the depopulation of rural areas? The negative ones and also what are the positive consequences?

Answer: We quite agree with you and revise the manuscript. The loss of labor would directly increase the difficulty of economic development and rural construction.

 

4、lines 44-45 - "weak degradation" means "weak development", "considerable decline" or slight decrease?

Answer: Thank you very much for the careful suggestion. "weak degradation" means "weak development" in this paper.

 

5、line 72 - the Web-link does not give access to http://www.qstheory.cn/dukan/qs

Answer: We quite agree with you, and add the reference.

The Party group of the State Rural Revitalization Bureau of the Communist Party of China. A great miracle in the history of human poverty reduction Please, 2021, 4.

 

 

We will try our best to revise the paper!

Thanks a lot again for having reviewed our manuscript.

 

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 4 Report

Dear authors,

Land is a journal of land system science, landscape, soil–sediment–water systems, urban study, land–climate interactions, water–energy–land–food (WELF) nexus, biodiversity research and health nexus, land modelling and data processing, ecosystem services, and multifunctionality and sustainability etc

The paper deals with the experience of financial poverty alleviation "Yanchi model" developed in the Yanchi county.

The development model of "branch + enterprise + farmer households" to allow more villagers to find jobs and increase income; connecting them with photovoltaic enterprises and eficient utilization of water resources and integrated development model of grass to breed the Tan sheep that is the main economic source of farmers.

I miss scientific data & argumentation, and how they have contributed to the model for decision making. I.E. remote sensing, climate, water...

It seems written for a generalist magazine since you correctly describe what has been done, but not the reasons and data that drove to make this and no other things, based in natural and human resources, trade, etc.

 

Author Response

Dear editor

Thanks a lot for having reviewed our manuscript. Your comments were highly insightful and enabled us to greatly improve the quality of our manuscript. In the following pages are our point-by-point responses to each of the comments. Most of the revisions are in the manuscript. Some explanations regarding the revisions of our manuscript are as follows.

 

 

Response to Reviewer 4:

Thanks a lot for your affirmation of our research results and carefully comments on our paper. We have revised according to your comments:

 

1、It miss scientific data & argumentation, and how they have contributed to the model for decision making. I.E. remote sensing, climate, water...

 

Answer: Thank you very much for the careful suggestion. This research adopts multi-source data collection methods such as field investigations and government document files to ensure the validity of the case study. The main contribution of this research is to explore the causes of development poverty alleviation and rural revitalization in China's northwest arid areas and investigate the mechanism of sustainable poverty alleviation in empirical case analysis, and then put forward the green development path and mode that are conducive to realizing structure optimization and function improvement in arid areas. We would consider multi-source data and verify the model to enrich the research connotation.

 

 2、It seems written for a generalist magazine since you correctly describe what has been done, but not the reasons and data that drove to make this and no other things, based in natural and human resources, trade, etc.

 

Answer: We have paid attention to this issue. This research focuses on case study, and the main contribution of this research is to explore the causes of development poverty alleviation and rural revitalization in China's northwest arid areas and investigate the mechanism of sustainable poverty alleviation in empirical case analysis, and then put forward the green development path and mode that are conducive to realizing structure optimization and function improvement in arid areas. The reasons and data that drove to make this development based in natural and human resources, trade, etc, which is a very unique and feasible perspective. We quite agree with you that introducing natural and human resources, and revise the manuscript.

We will try our best to revise the paper!

Thanks a lot again for having reviewed our manuscript.

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Round 2

Reviewer 1 Report

I thank the authors for considering my comments. I see the manuscript has been changed according to the bulk of my suggestions. I agree to publication.

Author Response

Thanks a lot for having reviewed our manuscript. Your comments about 

reviewing the entire list of references looking for more consistent journals

were highly insightful and enabled us to greatly improve the quality of our manuscript. Thank you.

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 4 Report

Dear authors,

The paper has improved from the previous version. You go even deeper explaining the strategy for rural revitalization, and guides farmers to use land for construction, agriculture land, and ecological land to develop rural industries through governments at all levels, social organizations, and rural talents.

In general, the paper is correct, but please find some comments in the attached document.

Regards,

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Author Response

Thanks a lot for your affirmation of our research results and carefully comments on our paper. We have revised according to your comments:

 

1、In general, the paper is correct, but I still miss scientific data & argumentation, and how they have contributed to the model for decision making. I.E. remote sensing, climate, wate... You comment that the research adopts multi-source data collection methods such as field investigations and government document files; so please create a small diagram connecting all that information

 

Answer: Thank you very much for the careful suggestion.

 

 

 

Table 2. Data sources anddescription.

 

Data name	Data source	Data type
Land use change survey map	Yanchi bureau of land and resources	Vector
Administrative boundary data	National Geomatics Center of China(http://www.webmap.cn/)	Vector
Rural revitalization policies	Yanchi rural Revitalization Bureau	Text
Planning, water-saving irrigation	Township cadres and farmers interview and field research	Text
Socioeconomic data	Yanchi statistical yearbook	Table

 

 

 

2、 S139 ing enterprises; From the perspective of Correct “; From”

Answer: Thank you very much for the careful suggestion. Some revisions of our manuscript are as follows.

Poverty alleviation is an important basis for rural revitalization. Meanwhile, rural revitalization can consolidate and enhance the effectiveness of poverty alleviation [23]. The linkage between poverty alleviation and rural revitalization is faced the problem of linking units, contents, policies and sequences of work. From the perspective of work unit, rural revitalization needs to shift from farmers to villages. From the perspective of work content, rural revitalization involves the revitalization of ecology, culture and organization, especially the guidance and drive of capable people, new business entities and leading enterprises. From the perspective of the working team, the retention and upgrading of the first Secretary of poverty alleviation, the team stationed in the village and the person in charge of assistance are related to the construction of rural revitalization cadres. From the perspective of work policies, the continuation and adjustment of various poverty alleviation policies will affect the speed and quality of Rural Revitalization. From the perspective of work sequences, we should clarify the preferred areas and priorities of rural revitalization [24], and reasonably formulate industrial, village and regional revitalization plans.

 

3、 S212: Figure 3. Location of Yanchi County and its land use.

The map composition is difficult to understand. First I would locate Yanchi in either Asia/China/part of China (please have a look to one idea below). The idea is to show where it is, to the world. In the location map I wouldn’t use either graphic scale or north arrow.

Answer: Thank you very much for the careful suggestion. Some revisions are as follows.

 

 

4、Secondly. In the landuse map, it is difficult to distinguish between Orchard Land and Woodland in the map. It is difficult to distinguish also between Facility Land and Water conservation Land. Township boundary seems continuous grey. Are all pictures necessary? Do the arrows point an accurate point or hast the area? The figure talks about Yanchi County and its land use and it can be seen panels, buildings, etc. If the are important, please label them, locate them, and explain what they are.

Please re-make this map composition to transmit what you are trying to communicate

 

Answer: Thank you very much for the careful suggestion. Township boundary is blacken. Some revisions are as follows. The figures unnecessary are deleted.

Figure 3. Location of Yanchi County and its land use.

 

Author Response File: Author Response.docx