Land conservation campaign in China: integrated management, local participation and food supply option

In an effort to halt soil erosion, desertification and sandstorms, the Chinese government has recently launched a series of land conservation programs targeted at the country’s north, northwest and southwest areas where problems are severe. This paper provides an overview of the current status of the major land conservation projects and their environmental and social-economic significance, as well as the challenges encountered. Conflicts of interests and objectives among different administrative entities involved and problems associated with the lack of local participation are addressed. Impacts on the food economy and implications for the environment are discussed in light of the options for meeting the country’s increasing food demand. The analysis highlights the necessity of improving cooperation and integration across different administrations and the imperative of participation of local communities in the planning and management process for achieving the goals of land conservation campaign. The importance of internalizing the environmental externality of land degradation and stipulating sustainable national food supply strategies is also stressed.     

涪江上游泥石流灾损土地资源化利用模式

长江流域涪江上游以高山峡谷地貌为主,人地矛盾突出,水热条件较好的泥石流灾损土地是山区居民主要的生产生活场所,高效利用灾损土地是山区发展的重要途径。通过野外调查,初步查明目前涪江上游42处泥石流灾损土地利用类型主要为耕地、林地和建筑用地,分别占调查总数的41.5%、32.8%和12.1%。这42处泥石流灾损土地总面积为2.47 km²,可利用面积为2.12 km²(含已利用建筑用地等),占调查总面积的86%,潜在可利用面积较高。选取土壤肥力、水土保持特性及工程地质特性3个因子进行泥石流灾损土地资源化利用评价,得出涪江上游泥石流灾损土地资源化利用模式。评价结果表明,涪江上游泥石流灾损土地可利用潜力主要以中等和较低程度为主,占调查总数的88.09%,因此,涪江上游泥石流灾损土地资源具有较大的开发潜力。另外,本文以涪江上游黄家坝为例,得出4种灾损土地利用模式,即村落聚集优化区模式、现代农业耕作区模式、水土保持缓冲区模式及工民建设潜力区模式,并在此基础上提出相应的灾损土地利用建议,为山区土地资源化开发利用提供指导。     

涪江上游泥石流灾损土地资源化利用模式

长江流域涪江上游以高山峡谷地貌为主,人地矛盾突出,水热条件较好的泥石流灾损土地是山区居民主要的生产生活场所,高效利用灾损土地是山区发展的重要途径。通过野外调查,初步查明目前涪江上游42处泥石流灾损土地利用类型主要为耕地、林地和建筑用地,分别占调查总数的41.5%、32.8%和12.1%。这42处泥石流灾损土地总面积为2.47 km²,可利用面积为2.12 km²(含已利用建筑用地等),占调查总面积的86%,潜在可利用面积较高。选取土壤肥力、水土保持特性及工程地质特性3个因子进行泥石流灾损土地资源化利用评价,得出涪江上游泥石流灾损土地资源化利用模式。评价结果表明,涪江上游泥石流灾损土地可利用潜力主要以中等和较低程度为主,占调查总数的88.09%,因此,涪江上游泥石流灾损土地资源具有较大的开发潜力。另外,本文以涪江上游黄家坝为例,得出4种灾损土地利用模式,即村落聚集优化区模式、现代农业耕作区模式、水土保持缓冲区模式及工民建设潜力区模式,并在此基础上提出相应的灾损土地利用建议,为山区土地资源化开发利用提供指导。     

The new equine sector and its influence on multifunctional land use in peri-urban areas

The equine sector is increasingly influencing land use, especially in peri-urban areas where the demand for land is already high. The sector not only influences traditional farming and land use, but also social, legal and economic development, and thus demands new interpretations of rural and urban. However, there is currently a lack of information on the consequences of this sector at landscape, social and economic level. This study examines the influence of the equine sector on the development of multifunctional land use in peri-urban areas, using data and examples from Sweden. It also examines specific features of the associated growing area of research and the positioning of the issue within the broader context of land use and planning. The methods used were a case study of a municipality, together with interviews and analyses of statistical material at regional level in the context of multifunctional land use, planning and sustainable development. It was found that the structure of the equine sector varies at both national and local level due to local conditions, but that there are also common features that need to be further studied using a broad interdisciplinary starting point.     

基于土地发展权的历史文化遗迹所在地区农地保护策略探究

目前我国历史文化遗迹所在地区开发用地失控的原因,从体制方面讲,乃是由于规制手段不够健全、管理体制不够顺畅、城镇化和旅游经济发展进程的阶段性等问题所致;从微观经济层面而言,还在于农民缺乏保护农地的经济诱因、农地转向开发用地收益更高、相关利益集团的势力影响等因素在起作用,故而农地流转成开发用地不可避免。所以应当借鉴海外土地发展权制度,在历史文化遗迹所在地区内落实土地发展权的补偿机制,对开发用地实行有效的管制。具体来说,应当从法律上明确土地发展权的地位,将农地保护与当地的经济社会发展有机协调起来,推行土地使用管制,建立完善土地发展权交易机制,同时有效控制农地流转为开发用地的隐性交易行为。     

喀斯特峡谷洞穴景区景观保育与发展协同评价研究——以云南九乡峡谷洞穴景区为例

建立自然保护、恢复与社会经济发展相协调的保护地评价指标体系,以达到评估景观保育情况,分析在社会经济发展中的作用,获取景观保育持续提升的方向和对策是本文目标。以云南九乡峡谷洞穴景区为例,设计了景区景观的自然性、功能性和属地性指数评价体系。九乡景区景观自然性指数为7.004,属次生景观类;景区功能性指数是7.58,属发展型景区;属地性指数6.8,属景区产业向服务社区与居民就业方向转型的过渡产业型景区。根据九乡景区景观格局和保护利用状态,提出四个景观保育区,分别是乡土植物廊道和文化景观保育区、峡谷河道景观保育区、峡谷洞穴景观与地表植被保育区、植被管护与石漠化治理区等。景观保育措施主要是自然保育与恢复,以实现管理景观自然化,同时发展景区社区主导的旅游服务业与开发民特产品,增强景观保护的社会经济基础。      

Creating ecotourism territories: Environmentalities in Tanzania’s community-based conservation

This paper explores territorial struggles around ecotourism in community-based conservation in wildlife rich Northern Tanzania. At the centre of analysis are two emblematic and distinctly different ecotourism business models that rely on a particular territorialization of property relations and resource control: one model is based on land sharing with local communities and villages, while the other relies on the appropriation of large parts of village land for exclusive access and control. Conceptually engaging critical geography debates on internal territorialization with a poststructuralist political ecology inspired by the framework of multiple environmentalities, the paper shows how ecotourism companies employ different techniques of government to secure business-friendly environments and territories in neoliberal conservation. Different business models underpin different processes of territorialization that in turn produce different modes of engagements and regimes of rule and authority. While the case of ecotourism through land sharing reinforces village land rights through a neoliberal environmentality, ecotourism through land appropriation illustrates how neoliberal, sovereign and truth environmentalities are put to work to facilitate the re-territorialization of property relations and resource control to undermine land rights of an entire village or an ethnic minority.     

物权法对节约集约利用土地的法理解析——以青岛市崂山区分层出让建设用地使用权为例

土地资源具有稀缺性和不可再生性,土地供给日渐紧张,拓展土地利用空间、将土地利用由平面趋向立体化发展的趋势日渐成熟。青岛市崂山区将建设用地使用权分层出让,不但垂范了法规政策,对区域经济的发展也具有很大的现实意义。     

Cellular automata-based model for developing land use ecological security patterns in semi-arid areas: a case study of Ordos, Inner Mongolia, China

The semi-arid areas in Northern China are home to a large population and have great ecological vulnerability. Contemporary land use pressures cause these areas to suffer from a severe land use conflict between human activities and environmental conservation. Ignoring the livelihood of humans and the development of semi-arid areas is not possible. However, the rapid increase in human activity recently exposes both the human race and local environment to potential adverse effects. To balance this contradiction, this research puts forth a framework to optimize the land use patterns in these areas in the context of ecological security and land use suitability. Considering the expansion of particular land use forms to meet the land use demand of social development, a revised cellular automata model is employed to shape the path of land expansion. Meanwhile, additional adjustment rules are set to adjust the unreasonable land use units to a suitable form. The city of Ordos is chosen as a case to put this framework into practice, and several landscape pattern indexes are used to evaluate the results. The results reveal that this framework could maintain the environment in a stable state while simultaneously meeting the land use demand of social development.     

青藏高原水源涵养能力时空变化规律

利用水均衡原理和地表能量平衡原理定量评估青藏高原地区水源涵养量,利用多年降雨和蒸发数据研究青藏高原水源涵养能力在空间上的分布状况及其随时间的变化过程,探讨近几十年来青藏高原水源涵养能力时空变化规律。结果表明,近几十年来青藏高原主要形成了3个水源涵养量持续减少的中心区域和2个水源涵养量增强的区域,其中水源涵养能力减弱的区域主要分布于雅鲁藏布江源头、青藏高原南部边缘地带和青海省东部与甘肃交界地带;水源涵养能力增强的区域主要分布于雅鲁藏布江中游河谷地带、澜沧江和金沙江中游河谷地带。     

Ecological Entrepreneurship Support Networks: Roles and functions for conservation organizations

Changing social and economic drivers of land use require a more integrated approach to land conservation that addresses both the land and the socio-economic context of land use. Technical and legal conservation focused at the single-parcel scale is insufficient. This research examines ecological entrepreneurship, discussed by Marsden and Smith (2005), as an integrated conservation strategy that targets environmental as well as economic goals. Specifically, we explore the roles and functions that must be provided by Ecological Entrepreneurship Support Networks (EESNs). In particular, we look at land trusts engaging in these efforts. Through a series of case studies, we examine the roles and functions, as well as motivations and challenges faced by land trusts involved in EESNs. The lessons learned through these case studies are intended to inform broader sustainable development efforts.     

Soil erosion, policy and people's perceptions in a rural community in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

In South Africa the science and practice of soil conservation have been dominated by a technical approach which does not take into account the perceptions, knowledge and needs of people living in rural areas. Attempts to incorporate land users into soil conservation programmes have not had much influence on conservation policies. In order to compare the scientifically-based physical appraisals of an area with the community's perceptions of soil erosion on their land, a project was established in a rural area of KwaZulu/Natal. This paper briefly reviews soil conservation policy in former homeland areas. It then considers the historical development of the community of Cornfields and their responses to changing government policies. The research indicates that rural dwellers have valuable knowledge concerning soil conservation, but that the neglest of such communities by agricultural and conservation authorities has led to the unsustainable use of the land. The area is severely eroded and soils in the area are amongst the most highly erodible in the province. Therefore levels of degradation would be high even without dense human occupation. This evidence is clearly important in future conservation planning and recommendations are made regarding a policy for the management of soil resources in rural areas.     

Environmental economics of the Khangchendzonga National Park in the Sikkim Himalaya, India

A contingent valuation survey was conducted involving local community members, domestic and foreign visitors to estimate the environmental economics of the Khangchendzonga National Park and to elicit their willingness-to-pay (WTP) for its maintenance and conservation. Using a random survey, the average WTP was US$ 8.84 for foreign visitors per visit, followed by US$ 6.20 per household per year by local community members and US$ 1.91 per domestic visitor per visit for improvement in environmental conservation. The WTP was strongly influenced by age, education and income. The present study demonstrated that the contingent valuation method (CVM) is a promising approach, however it lacks inclusion of non-monetary contributions. The WTP for environmental management by the local communities was mostly in kind or time for services. The CVM can be a useful tool for decision-makers regarding investment and policy purposes for management of biodiversity hot spots and protected areas in developing countries. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

国土整治生态修复中的农业景观生物多样性保护策略

随着生态文明建设成为国家发展战略,国土整治修复需要更多生态科学和技术的支撑。农业景观生物多样性是重要的自然资源,为人类可持续发展提供了重要的生态系统服务,并提供了应对气候变化等风险的途径。本文分析了我国农业景观生物多样性保护及其对国土整治生态修复的重要性,国土整治生态修复中农业景观生物多样性保护面临的挑战,并总结了欧盟在农业景观生物多样性保护方面的经验和方法。最后,文章提出了将农业景观生物多样性保护整合到国土整治生态修复的四项策略,包括生态空间的“生态修复和管护-生态补偿-民生改善”策略、农业空间的“生态基础设施-生态系统服务提升-绿色发展”策略、城乡生活空间的“多功能景观-绿色宜居空间营造”策略、国土全域“生物多样性保护网络”策略,为生态文明背景下的国土整治生态修复提供参考。     

In Situ Agrobiodiversity Conservation in the Swiss Inner Alpine Zone

This paper considers Swiss experiences of in situ agrobiodiversity conservation. The Swiss recognise the multifunctionality of agriculture, particularly within the marginal, mountainous areas of the country and are spending public and private funds to maintain crop landraces, agroecosystems, landscapes, agricultural practices, and rural communities. State programs in marginal agricultural regions tie economic assistance to biodiversity conservation practices, through the use of direct payment systems. With the removal of many import restrictions and state-led marketing, alternative innovative programs linked to local values of diversity provide opportunities for conservation. In situ agrobiodiversity conservation ideas being pursued include awareness-raising schemes, scientific initiatives, the establishment of diversity gardens and community-based programs. Any extension of the in situ conservation programs could have substantial implications for regional development. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Commodity conservation: The restructuring of community conservation in South Africa and the Philippines

The world over, neoliberal modes of conservation are hybridising with, or even replacing, other forms of conservation. Under the banner of ‘win–win’ policies, planners actively work to commoditize natural resources and the social relations that determine the use and conservation of these resources. While these general processes seem to hold sway globally, it is crucial not to lose sight of the context specific ways in which neo-liberalism influences conservation practice and local outcomes. The paper examines how neo-liberalism’s global pervasiveness becomes manifest across different levels and scales in South Africa and the Philippines. The conclusion suggests that as a result of these neoliberal pressures, emphasis is shifting from local constructions of ‘nature’ by communities to what the environment should mean for communities in terms of commodified resources and growing capitalist markets.     

Blue grabbing: Reviewing marine conservation in Redang Island Marine Park,Malaysia

While academic literature and media attention has rightly focused on the numerous instances of land grabbing taking place in various corners of the world, far less attention is paid to the enclosure, appropriation and dispossession taking place in the guise of marine conservation – or the recently developed concept of “blue grabbing”. Blue grabbing articulates how marine conservation results in the appropriation of marine resources and coastal land from previous custodians by more powerful actors, such as state and tourist operators. Blue grabbing can be considered a form of primitive accumulation, yet dispossession via marine conservation does not take the conventional form of privatising land, as the spaces involved are still formally state-owned areas. Rather, it is the benefits from natural resources that contribute to capital accumulation of tourist operators and indirectly the state. Restrictions on local resource use are justified using degradation narratives of “overfishing”, while financial benefits from tourism are drained from local communities within a system lacking transparency. This intervention draws on fieldwork research to reveal how blue grabbing plays out in Redang Island Marine Park, Malaysia, yet given that blue grabbing is a recently developed concept, argues there is a pressing need for research to build a more informed picture.     

Defining the forest,defending the forest: Political ecology,territoriality, and resistance to a protected area in the Dominican Republic

Political ecologists have considered the social and economic impacts that nature reserves, national parks and other forms of protected area can have on neighbouring communities, and how this can generate conflicts between them. This paper analyses such conflicts through the lens of territoriality, considering how the way protected area territories are created, delineated, and defined is linked to the social impacts experienced by local people. Conflicts between locals and conservation authorities over protected areas are about rival attempts to define the boundaries of protected areas, who the land should belong to, what it should be used for, and what its purpose is. Yet the ability of local people or conservation authorities to impose their meaning is unequal. It illustrates these processes with the example of a scientific reserve in the Dominican Republic, and a decades-long conflict to define what the reserve should mean, what it should look like, and who it should belong to.     

Breaking down fences: Recoupling social-ecological systems for biodiversity conservation in Namibia

Herero communities in northern Namibia recently formed the Ehi-rovipuka Conservancy under a national Community-Based Natural Resource Management Programme (CBNRM) that has received international acclaim for wildlife conservation and poverty alleviation. Nearly a century ago ancestors of the Herero were ousted from Etosha National Park, contiguous to the Ehi-rovipuka Conservancy. The communities have been denied access ever since. Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) methods were employed to elucidate relationships of the Herero and their communal conservancy with the Etosha National Park. Memory mapping and villager interviews revealed a profound sense of lost traditional territory inside Etosha and a strong desire to return to the Park, not to harvest wildlife but to restore cultural practices and reap certain benefits from the Park. We term the separation of the communities from their traditional territory as a ‘decoupling’ of people from their local environment. We further suggest that the potential benefits that villagers identify from the Park represent mechanisms for ‘recoupling’ local social-ecological systems, requiring the literal and figurative breakdown of the Park fence. We describe a model to illustrate decoupling and recoupling mechanisms, and argue that recoupled social-ecological systems are necessary for long-term conservation of biodiversity. We further suggest a collaborative landscape model for biodiversity conservation featuring institutional linkages and integration between community-conserved areas, integrated conservation corridors for connectivity, and dynamic, mobile reserves collaboratively integrated with national parks management. This model may have applicability in Namibia and similar regions elsewhere with low population densities, high species endemism and prevailing or emerging threats to biodiversity.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">In situ</Emphasis> Agrobiodiversity Conservation for Regional Development in Nepal

The majority of rural communities have limited agricultural development opportunities within the hills and mountains of Nepal. While the dominant development model, which focuses on technology transfer and the evolution of commercial production systems, is effective when access to inputs and markets enables farmers to produce and trade successfully, many communities are marginalised from development opportunities by poverty and poor infrastructure. Complementary development approaches that value, conserve, develop and market agrobiodiversity could alleviate the extreme poverty where these conditions prevail as in the hills and mountains, the rural margins of Nepal. Formalised in situ approaches to agrobiodiversity conservation are in their infancy in Nepal, yet suggest that opportunities exist for a complementary agricultural development approach in the rural margins based on working with the local diversity, rather than its elimination. The obstacles of widespread poverty and inadequate infrastructure ensure that effective in situ agrobiodiversity conservation programs must provide for the needs of local people for sustainable development.