Search Results (5)

Conducting research on the evaluation of rural resilience and risk governance strategies in the middle reaches of the Heihe River can provide a scientific basis for the sustainable development of rural areas in the inland river basins of arid regions. Affected by water resource constraints, the expansion of artificial oases, and excessive exploitation of groundwater, the rural areas in the middle reaches of the Heihe River Basin, the second largest inland river in the arid region of northwest China, are confronted with prominent contradictions in the human-land relationship and urgently need to enhance their ability to cope with risks. Based on the remote sensing data of land use and major socio-economic data, this study draws on the theory of landscape ecology to construct a disturbance-resistance-adaptability evaluation system. Taking Ganzhou District, a typical irrigated agricultural area, as a case study, the study uses the entropy weight method, resilience change rate, and obstacle degree model to analyze the rural resilience level and its changing characteristics from 1990 to 2020, identifies the key obstacle factors affecting the development of rural resilience, and proposes risk governance strategies accordingly. Main conclusions: (1) The overall rural resilience index is relatively low, showing significant spatial disparities. Towns with well-developed multifunctional agriculture, nature reserves, and ecological-cultural control lines have higher resilience indices. (2) The change rate of the rural resilience index demonstrates phase heterogeneity, generally undergoing a “relative stability-increase-decrease” process, and forming a differentiation pattern of “decrease in the north and increase in the south”. (3) Internal risks to rural resilience development in the Ganzhou District mainly stem from low economic efficiency, fragile ecological environment, and unstable landscape patterns, among which efficiency-dominant and landscape-stability obstacle factors have a broader impact scope, while habitat resistance-type obstacle factors are mainly concentrated in the western part and suburban areas. Enhancing the benefits of water and soil resource utilization, strengthening habitat resistance, and stabilizing landscape patterns are key strategies for current-stage rural resilience governance in the middle reaches of the Heihe River. This study aims to optimize the human-land relationship in the rural areas of the middle reaches of the Heihe River. Full article

Rural areas play an important role in the energy transition process, and understanding the impact of green innovation on rural habitat system resilience is highly important. Using data from 30 provinces in China from 2011 to 2022, this study employs the entropy method to quantify rural habitat system resilience and examines the relationship between green innovation and rural habitat system resilience using a fixed-effects model. The results indicate that for every one-unit increase in green innovation, rural habitat system resilience increases by 0.012–0.018 units. Robustness tests, including replacing the core explanatory variables, introducing a one-period lag for core explanatory variables, and substituting a fixed-effects model with the system GMM model, confirm the reliability of the findings. Heterogeneity analysis reveals that green innovation has the greatest effect on enhancing rural habitat system resilience in China’s central region. Further analysis demonstrates that green innovation indirectly strengthens rural habitat system resilience by increasing public concern about environmental pollution and reinforcing environmental regulation. These findings provide a scientific basis for improving the environmental resilience of rural communities by integrating life, production, and ecological systems through technological innovation in the context of carbon neutrality. They also contribute to the advancement of sustainable development through nature-based solutions. Full article

This paper supports the idea of agroecology playing an integral role in development ‘smart cities’ and its application in different settlement contexts in South Africa. As alluded to in the People-Centered Smart Cities framework, the application of the smart cities approach can be extended to various settlement contexts. This paper promotes ‘the smart city’ concept in different contexts, including rural and small settlement environments, incorporating agroecology, a paradigm which guides us towards building sustainable and equitable urban environments. This approach can significantly contribute to the improved and more resilient design and development of human settlements. The Preferred Reporting Items for Reviews and Meta-analysis were employed to analyze primary and secondary data sources, thereby formulating descriptive and analytical themes around agroecology and smart cities. This paper utilized 54 articles, offering a robust foundation for the paper’s analysis and discussions. Additionally, the paper underscores the adherence to policy and legislative spaces for smart city strategy-led budgeting. It advocates for robust financial policies and long-term development financial strategies aligned with several the Sustainable Development Goals, but especially SGD 11, which is to create inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable cities and habitats. The construction of smart campuses, smart rural settlements, and smart school programs is demonstrated by the Centre for Ecological Intelligence at the University of Johannesburg’s food systems hub, the Phumulani rural agrivillage, and the Eastern Cape and Tshwane food security school programs. These showcase projects act as compelling models illustrating how the principles of smart cities can be applied to diverse settlement contexts. Full article

The study of rural habitat systems from the perspective of resilience is of great significance in revealing the inner laws of the evolution of the rural human settlements system and promoting sustainable rural development. This study aims to explain the theoretical connotation of the rural human settlements system resilience (RHSSR), construct an evaluation system and zoning rules for rural habitat system resilience, and explore the spatial distribution pattern of rural habitat system resilience in China and the factors influencing the differences in the level of rural resilience using 30 Chinese provinces as examples to provide effective governance solutions for sustainable rural development. The results show that: (1) The RHSSR refers to the sustainability of the RHSS; i.e., the ability of a system to absorb and adapt to internal and external disturbances and shocks by adjusting the structure and scale of its internal elements, discarding the original inapplicable state to the greatest extent possible and creating a new recovery path to another new equilibrium state. (2) The overall downward trend of RHSSR in 30 Chinese provinces between 2000 and 2020 is consistent with the fact that a large number of villages have died out in China in recent years. (3) The RHSSR is higher in eastern China than in central and western China; although the regional gap is gradually narrowing. (4) An analysis of the evolutionary trend of the RHSSR shows that the northeastern and eastern regions of China belong to the major evolution area of the RHSSR; most areas in central and western China belong to the degraded vulnerable area of the RHSSR, while the potential recession area of the RHSSR is more scattered, mainly in Beijing, Tianjin, and Inner Mongolia in northern China, Chongqing, Hubei, and Qinghai in central China, and Guangdong and Fujian in the southern China region of Guangdong and Fujian. (5) The results of the analysis of geographical detectors show that the effect of the basic-driven factors in the RHSSR decreases significantly with time, while the effect of the core-driven and externally-driven factors increases, and the effect of the two factors is greater than that of the single factor. Among them, industrial structure (IS) has an important influence on the spatial differentiation of the resilience level of rural human settlements system. (6) Optimization strategies are proposed in terms of spatial planning; industrial integration and public participation for the development of different sub-regions. Full article

Urban–rural interfaces represent complex systems that require complex solutions for sustainable development and resilience against pollution, habitat fragmentation, biodiversity loss and impaired flux of ecosystem services (ES). Green infrastructure (GI) is increasingly recognised as an effective tool for addressing such a complexity, but needs priority setting to maximise benefits and minimise drawbacks of implementation. Therefore, a prioritisation approach focused on biodiversity and ES in peri-urban areas is required. In the present work, a systematic and hierarchical framework is proposed for setting priority GI objectives, location and actions aimed at enhancing local biodiversity, ES flux and farming sustainability in urban peripheries. By means of a case study in the Metropolitan City of Rome, the framework allowed identification of the main demand for ES and biodiversity; the most suitable location for GI implementation; and the best cost-effective actions. The GI implementation showed an improvement in terms of wooded hedgerow density, an increase regarding the ecological connectivity of riparian ecosystems, and an increment of agroecosystems designated to enhance the ecological network and wildlife support. Finally, the prioritisation framework contributes to fostering environmental benefits while complying with regulations and management practices from the regional to the farm/field decision level. Full article