Tidal river management for sustainable agriculture in the Ganges-Brahmaputra delta: Implication for land use policy

The tidal river management (TRM) approach is an indigenous management practice in the Southwest part of the Ganges-Brahmaputra delta in Bangladesh. This approach has a high potential for extending area under agriculture with a positive impact on sustainable production and consequently on sustainable land use planning. Until recently, no studies provide a quantitative assessment on agricultural benefits of TRM operation. In this study, we aim to assess the benefits of TRM operation by using innovative approaches such as comparing land use change, agricultural production and economic cost-benefit analysis for two scenarios (with and without TRM) in the Hari-Teka-Bhadra catchment. We found that the financial benefit of TRM operation was 85.5 million US dollar per year from the agriculture sector. The results are useful for promoting land use policy through TRM approach in achieving greater sustainability in the area.     

新时代中国城市土地集约利用若干问题的再认识

研究目的：基于中国城市土地集约利用研究现状，面向新时代要求，重新审视与厘清城市土地集约利用理论认知、评价标准、影响机制和优化调控等基本问题，为中国土地集约利用的理论完善和实践创新提供支撑。研究方法：理论分析法和推理演绎法。研究结果：（1）城市土地集约利用在理论认知上应由“三个阶段”转向“三个时期”；（2）城市土地利用集约度的评价标准应由静态指标转向动态耦合；（3）城市土地集约利用的影响机制研究应由封闭区域转向关联传导；（4）城市土地集约利用优化调控策略应由极限集约转向最优集约。研究结论：进入新时代，城市土地集约利用理论上可实现“不增地，多增效”甚至“地减量，效增加”，未来相关研究应重点关注存量和减量规划中建设用地与经济发展之间关系的变化特征，以及国土空间规划与土地利用计划管理改革下新的城市土地集约利用问题。国家相关规程中的集约评价标准须结合区域发展阶段进行“匹配性”修正，政策制定要考虑区域间的“关联性”和“传导性”进行精准化设计，治理方案应按照最优集约度的“动态性”进行差异化调控。     

欠发达农区农村居民点内部用地结构演变研究

[目的]从农村居民点内部用地结构演变视角,探索中国快速工业化和城镇化进程中的欠发达农区土地利用转型。[方法]以江西省吉安县凤凰镇铺前村为研究区,采用参与式农村评估、GIS与遥感影像相结合的方法复原了1986年、1996年、2006年和2016年农村居民点内部土地利用状况,揭示了农村居民点内部用地数量结构、空间结构和功能结构演变特征。[结果]30年来铺前村农村居民点用地规模先后经历了快速扩张、加速扩张及缓慢扩张3个阶段,用地类型以住宅用地为主,同时出现了一定的多元化发展趋势;农村居民点内部用地空间结构先后呈现蔓延扩张、跳跃式扩张、填隙式扩张模式发展特征;农村居民点内部用地的功能结构演变特征是农业生产功能逐渐弱化,出现微弱的非农生产功能,生活功能虽然经历稳定弱化和加速弱化过程,但是仍是主导功能,生态功能在中后期因内部用地竞争而明显弱化。[结论]通过系统的研究,揭示了30年来铺前村农村居民点内部土地利用结构演变特征,为优化农村土地利用,促进乡村振兴发展提供参考。     

呼伦贝尔草原生态功能区土地利用变化及驱动力分析

[目的]土地利用作为地球表面与人类活动连接的纽带,明确其变化特征及驱动力对于土地利用格局的优化、区域生态环境的改善和土地利用率的提高等具有重要的指导意义。[方法]文章以呼伦贝尔草原生态功能区为例,从土地利用动态度和土地利用转移矩阵来探究研究区在1990—2015年土地利用变化特征。在此基础上,运用主成分分析对研究区土地利用的年际变化进行驱动力分析。[结果]2015年草地面积为329.52万hm~2,占总面积的81.17%,是呼伦贝尔草原生态功能区的主体土地利用类型, 1990—2015年草地总量略有减少,减幅为0.04%;湿地作为研究区第二大土地利用类型,呈现先减后增、整体减少的趋势,整体减幅为0.36%;其他土地面积减少1.39万hm~2,减幅为19.05%;面积增加的土地利用类型中,耕地面积整体上呈现增加趋势,增加8 480hm~2,增幅高达102.60%;人工表面面积增加6 075hm~2,增幅为29.47%;林地面积增加了2 908hm~2,增幅10.48%。草地、湿地和其他土地利用类型表现为净转入特征,耕地、林地和人工表面用地表现为净转出特征。区域经济和农畜因素是研究区土地利用变化的主要驱动力。[结论]草地与其他土地利用类型间的相互转换是呼伦贝尔草原生态功能区土地利用变化的主要特征,区域经济和农畜因素共同影响研究区不同土地利用类型的分布。     

Spatial and temporal analyses of potential land use conflict under the constraints of water resources in the middle reaches of the Heihe River

With the rapid urbanization in China, land resources are becoming increasingly scarce. Identifying and resolving land use conflict is essential for reasonably using land resources and achieving land sustainability. Taking the middle reaches of the Heihe River as an example, we included the constraints of local water resources to construct a multi-criteria evaluation system for assessing land use competitiveness in 2000 and 2015 based on land use, socio-economic, and nighttime light data. By comparing the competitiveness of cultivated land, construction land and ecological land, we then derived the spatiotemporal patterns of potential land use conflicts. Actual land use changes supported the hypothesis that land use tended to convert into the type with higher competitiveness at areas with intense conflict, which better indicated that our assessment model was effective. The results showed that the potential land use conflict was more acute in the central and northwest but weak in the southeast and northeast, and its pattern showed a significantly positive spatial autocorrelation. The conflict between cultivated land and construction land was most prominent and mainly occurred in the transitional zone from urban to rural areas. Rapid urban development and water shortage were the main causes of the potential land use conflict. Assessing land use multi-functions and making a tradeoff among ecological, economic, and social services will be an effective way to guide future land use to solve land use conflict. Our research provides scientific evidence for sustainable land use planning and management in the arid areas.     

Governing Suburbia through regionalized land-use planning? Experiences from the Greater Frankfurt region

This paper explores the case of peripheral settlement growth in the Greater Frankfurt (Main) region within current debates on global suburbanization. Within Germany’s sophisticated spatial planning regime, Greater Frankfurt’s system of regionalized land-use planning marks an ambitious initiative to contain urban sprawl. Nonetheless, expansive peripheral settlement growth, and socio-spatial polarization remain distinct characteristics of the booming region. Analyzing state regulation vis-à-vis dynamics of capitalist urbanization and private authoritarianism, we decipher the complex governance arrangements producing this, at first sight, contradictory simultaneity. We uncover the rationales of local growth politics of autonomous municipalities and the region’s multiplied institutional fragmentation that undermine planning ambitions to contain suburban growth. We conclude by critically assessing the political economies of suburbanization in Greater Frankfurt and point to prospects for regional reform.     

Land rental in a multi-ethnic society: Insights from Southwest China

This study presents detailed evidence on the characteristics, processes, and consequences of land rental practices in a multi-ethnic rural society in Yunnan Province, Southwest China, which have rarely been explored. It contributes to the existing literature on land rental and control by considering the dimension of ethnicity. The findings show the following: Interethnic land rental is a very common and noteworthy feature in the selected Han-Jingpo multi-ethnic rural society. Han ethnic households rented and accumulated a large proportion of farmland and forestland from neighbouring Jingpo ethnic households. This was done to expand cash crops and timber forest, as opposed to the activities of Jingpo ethnic households. Interethnic land rental was mainly triggered by different development capabilities and attitudes towards agricultural commercialization supported by differences in resource assets due to ethnic living patterns and other dynamic socio-political reasons. Consequently, Jingpo ethnic households are experiencing an increasing income gap due largely to declines in farmland and forestland, while possibilities for positive interethnic interactions were found. These findings are relevant for rethinking land rental policies in China and also provide useful insights for rural sustainability in any multi-ethnic area where interethnic interactions of land or other resources coexist.     

Determining factors and impacts of the intention to adopt mobile banking app in Cameroon: Case of SARA by afriland First Bank

This study aims to know what are the factors determining the adoption of M-Banking app among customers in Cameroon. In other words, what are the factors that influence users in their decisions to adopt and use a system or technology such as the MBanking app, and indirectly, what is the impact of this use on both the customers and financial inclusion? The research model developed relying on a combination of Technology Acceptance Model (TAM ), Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology ( UTAUT2 ), Information System Success Model ( ISSM ), and Protection Motivation Theory ( PMT ) and other constructs; it was then tested with a sample of 223 users of the “ SARA” M-Banking app of the financial institution called “ Afriland First Bank” . Findings revealed that: (1) utilitarian expectation, hedonic motivation, and status gain, habit, and perceived privacy concern have a significant influence on the intention to adopt M-Banking apps; and (2) the exploitative/explorative use of this technology has an impact on user’s loyalty and satisfaction but also contributes strongly to fostering financial inclusion in Cameroon. Also, the Multi-group analysis was performed on the sample using 2 gender-based groups (males, n=121; females, n=102).     

An evaluation of contemporary China’s land use policy – The Link Policy: A case study from Ezhou,Hubei Province

Economic reform in China has resulted in rapid urbanisation over the past three decades, changing the urban and rural landscape dramatically. A large amount of farmland was developed, leading to conflict between construction demand and farmland protection. In response, the “Link Policy” was proposed in 2005 that seeks to concurrently preserve farmland while providing for urban expansion through land exchange. The effectiveness of the Link Policy has not been systematically investigated. The purpose of this study is to analyse and evaluate outcomes of the Link Policy objectives from both a participant and investigator’s interpretive perspective. Ezhou, the first experimental city to implement the Link Policy in Hubei Province in central China, was selected as a case study area. Eight different communities in Ezhou were visited and 160 semi-structured interviews were conducted with resettled rural residents in March 2016. A combination of interviews and investigator field observations were used to evaluate the Link Policy objectives. The results show that participants recognize and support improving rural living conditions and coordinating urban-rural development, but the Link Policy failed to achieve the objectives of preserving farmland, protecting farmers’ land use rights and interests, and facilitating agricultural production. Participants perceived concentrated resettlement communities to be more efficient in land use compared to more expansive rural settlements, but vacant apartments for commercial use in resettlement areas account for a large proportion of land suggesting inefficiency in the land exchanges. We suggest policy changes to achieve more successful implementation of the Link Policy.     

The land sparing – land sharing controversy: Tracing the politics of knowledge

Feeding 9 billion people by 2050 on one hand, and preserving biodiversity on the other hand, are two shared policy goals at the global level. Yet while these goals are clear, they are to some extent in conflict, because agriculture is a major cause of biodiversity loss, and the path to achieve both of them is at the heart of a public controversy around ‘productive’ land use and biodiversity conservation. Over the years, the scientific, policy, civil society and agri-business communities have been engaged in producing evidence that can support a land sparing policy (separating intensive agricultural production from biodiversity conservation) or a land sharing policy (integrating the two in larger and more extensive landscapes). This paper contributes to this debate by analyzing land sparing and land sharing (LSS) as a socio-technical controversy. Through the analysis of large and small corpora of scientific, policy, corporate social responsibility and sustainability standards documents we explore the ethical underpinnings and social networks that support the opposing sides of this controversy. We explore these linkages in order to explain how the concept of land sparing achieved dominance in the scientific literature and how the concept has been taken up in international policy, business and civil society circles. We examine the convergences and divergences in alliances between actors in this controversy in order to map how specific actors have promoted the concept of land sparing as the best way to used land for biodiversity and food production.