Evaluating the Sustainable Land Use in Ecologically Fragile Regions: A Case Study of the Yellow River Basin in China

Abstract

How to realize the sustainable use of land resources is extremely important for environmental protection and sustainable development in ecologically fragile regions. Nevertheless, the logic of achieving sustainable land use (SLU) in ecologically fragile regions and the corrective mechanisms for the implementation of land use efficiency systems are not fully revealed in theory. The Yellow River Basin is an important ecological barrier in China, and it holds an important position in China’s economic and social development, as well as for ecological safety. However, the basin is also ecologically vulnerable. Therefore, investigating eight central cities in the Yellow River Basin of China and using municipal-level panel data from 2009 to 2018, this paper constructs a multidimensional index system and is dedicated to carrying out a comprehensive evaluation of SLU and the diagnosis of obstacle factors in ecologically fragile regions. The study found the following: (1) From 2009 to 2018, the SLU level in the central cities of the Yellow River Basin evolved from the “Unsustainable Level” to the “Initial Sustainable Level” and then to the “Basic Sustainable Level”. The overall development trend was positive, and the level of SLU also rose. (2) From 2009 to 2018, there was significant geographical variation in spatial disparities in SLU in the central cities of the Yellow River Basin. In 2018, the average comprehensive score of SLU showed a pattern of downstream > upstream > midstream. (3) The obstacle factors of SLU in the Yellow River Basin of these cities in 2009 were concentrated on resource and environmental sustainability, while those in 2018 were concentrated on social acceptability. (4) In terms of the transfer process of land use types in these Yellow River Basin cities, the transfer from cultivated land to other types of land use played a major role, while construction land showed a significant expansion over the past ten years.

An Integrated Modelling Approach to Urban Growth and Land Use/Cover Change

“…The LUCC is often regarded as one of the most important planning concerns [113,114]. These results show that the complexity of LUCC makes it hard to simulate using a single model and set of assumptions, particularly in metropolitan settings.…”

Regional Economic Growth and Environmental Protection in China: The Yellow River Basin Economic Zone as an Example

“…The Yellow River basin's ecological preservation and high-quality development are now crucial components of China's national plan, a symbol of contemporary regional economic growth, and a key component of the spatial pattern of the ecological civilization strategy [4]. The current research interests of academics, both domestically and internationally, include ecological environmental protection [5,6], resource endowment [7,8], sustainable development [9,10], industrial structure [11,12], water resource utilization [13,14], development of urban clusters in the basin [15,16], public services [17,18], urbanisation [19,20], and tourism [21,22]. Since Grossman and Krueger's "Kuznets curve (EKC)" was first established in the mid 1950s, the relationship between the economy and environment has received a great deal of attention from scholars and has produced successful results [23].…”

Synergy level of urban resilience and urban land use efficiency in the Yellow River Basin: Spatial-temporal evolution characteristics and driving factors

“…1 ) holds a significant position in China, functioning both as a vital economic region and a natural geographic barrier [ 20 ]. However, due to the prevalence of resource-based cities and the delicate ecological backdrop, the YRB has emerged as a focal point and a challenging aspect concerning China's ecological security and the socio-economic development trajectory [ 21 ]. Regional heterogeneity is serious in the YRB, with unbalanced development in the upper, middle and lower reaches [ 2 ].…”