Kong, Z.-H., Paavola, J. orcid.org/0000-0001-5720-466X and Stringer, L.C. (2024) National environmental programs and local social-ecological system change in dryland China: implications for environmental governance. Ecology and Society, 29 (3). 12. ISSN 1708-3087
Abstract
Interdependence of ecological and social systems is widely acknowledged, but consideration of how local communities are influenced by processes at other sectors or scales is often omitted. This research addresses this gap by examining the implementation of China’s national environmental programs (NEPs) to combat desertification. We investigate (a) the changes in local social-ecological systems and the role of the NEPs therein since the year 2000; (b) how the changes have affected local livelihoods and behaviors and attitudes toward the NEPs and the land; and (c) the role of other drivers in the changes and their implications. Interviews and surveys were conducted with scientists, grassroots implementers, and local farmers and herders. Secondary socioeconomic data were used to understand broader changes and drivers. Our results indicate that the NEPs generated both positive and negative biophysical and socioeconomic changes, and that they were both supported and disrupted by institutions at other sectors and scales. Although farmers and herders appreciated an improved environment and living standards, they suffered from other changes, such as reduced arable land area, rising costs of living and production, precarious markets, and extreme weather events. Absence of social security and limited social capital made farmers and herders unable to engage in long-term practices that support land conservation and their well-being. The findings highlight the need to foster systemic resilience in local communities through the provision of social security and social capital building to navigate the changing world.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2024 by the author(s). Published here under license by the Resilience Alliance. Open Access. CC-BY 4.0 |
Keywords: | institutional interplay; land stewardship; social capital; social-ecological-technological-regimes (SETRs); social security; systemic resilience |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Environment (Leeds) > School of Earth and Environment (Leeds) > Sustainability Research Institute (SRI) (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 02 Aug 2024 10:37 |
Last Modified: | 02 Aug 2024 10:37 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Resilience Alliance |
Identification Number: | 10.5751/es-15330-290312 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:215641 |