Adaptive society in a changing environment: Insight into the social resilience of a rural region of Taiwan

Taiwan has abundant biological resources that provide a quality living environment; however, industrial land use may change that environment through urban sprawl and thus have impacts on rural society. This study examined the experience of a Taiwanese rural region that has been exposed to industrial wastewater discharge specifying the relationship of industrial development to rural society and its role in policy. We addressed the societal adaptation to environmental degradation from risk perception perspectives about land use. Drawing on social vulnerability concept, semi-structured interviews were conducted in five communities that use irrigation water exposed to wastewater discharge. The interviews were designed using the Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) causal framework to examine residents’ risk perceptions highlighting both built-environmental sensitivity (degradation) and residents’ adaptability (capacity). In addition, remote sensing technology was used to identify the urban sprawl that led to industrial land use and exposed the rural region to water pollution risks. As a result, we present a social resilience cycle to introduce adaptive responses underlining social amplification of risk. Both local knowledge of the locals (the Hakka people) and their societal response to environmental change reflect the role of culture in influencing land use policy. It is underlined that individual and community responses shape the social experience of risk and are related to both the ethnicity of the locals and the land use policy of the government. We indicated further that a large-scale survey that would really quantity this exploratory study to support land use decision-making is expected.     

扬州古运河旅游生态环境感知研究

古运河作为世界文化遗产,是重要的旅游资源和旅游发展重点地带,生态环境是保障大运河可持续旅游发展的关键.本研究从游客感知的角度,研究古运河扬州段的旅游生态环境情况,通过查阅大量文献、结合古运河旅游带实际情况,构建生态环境感知评价指标体系,对古运河游客与居民生态感知进行实地调查,研究发现,旅游者对扬州古运河自然环境总体呈正...     

Convergence between satellite information and farmers’ perception of drought in rangelands of North-West Patagonia,Argentina

Drought is a complex natural hazard with social and environmental implications. Satellite information is increasingly used to support decision-makers in preventing or coping with the negative impacts of drought. The integration of local and scientific knowledge to support drought monitoring is still far from being the main procedure in the development of drought monitoring and early warning systems. This study aimed at assessing the degree of convergence between satellite information on the effect of droughts on rangeland vegetation, from time series analysis, and farmers’ perception of drought in North-West Patagonia, Argentina. We characterised the scientific evidence of drought in terms of duration, spatial distribution, most severe years and recovery for the period 2000–2018 by identifying inter-annual NDVI changes. Farmers’ perceptions and experiences of drought were studied with open-ending interviews, with respect to occurrence, duration and recovery for that period. Satellite information matched farmers’ perception of drought at a regional scale, emphasising the value of remote sensing tools in supporting regional policy decision-making. However, farmers’ perceptions and recall of past drought impacts were more diverse than satellite information at a local level, highlighting the need for knowledge integration at finer scales.     

Understanding rural landscape for better resident-led management: Residents’ perceptions on rural landscape as everyday landscapes

The rural landscape is “the dwelling place” of rural residents who generate a unique landscape through their daily activities. In order to strengthen the resident-led landscape management in rural areas, this study intends to gauge how and to what extent such rural landscapes are unique, as these landscapes are not easily appraised by existing landscape assessments that rely mainly on visual criteria, and suggest residents’ perception should be consider in the landscape planning. To conduct this study, residents’ subjective perceptions, in contrast with experts’ perceptions, were collected via a survey method referred to as photo-elicitation with walking. The survey revealed various everyday landscape objects perceived by the residents as meaningful, as well as scenes where visual characteristics were prominent. The results of survey also demonstrated that the residents are relatively insensitive to the visual and physical characteristics of landscapes objects, while sensitive to the “relationship” with the landscapes formed through the residents’ experiences. This pattern of sensitivity appears to be linked to the residents’ consideration of the landscape as a kinetic “dwelling place” rather than a static image. This pattern can be regarded as the reason residents perceive meaning in everyday landscapes. The results of this study suggest that by interpreting rural landscapes as everyday landscapes, landscape planning and management could be adapted to fit the needs and perceptions of rural residents and could, therefore, provide a basis for sustainable resident-led landscape management methods in connection with the everyday lives of rural residents.     

Effects of industrial plantations on ecosystem services and livelihoods: Perspectives of rural communities in China

This paper addresses the current research void on local community views of changes in ecosystem services associated with rapid land use transformation in the context of plantation-based forestry. This interview-based study, conducted in southern China, aims at assessing the perspectives of local communities of: 1) the effects of Eucalyptus industrial plantations on selected ecosystem services and on local development; and 2) opportunities for future community livelihood development, based on the relations with the government and with forest industry operating locally. We analysed data from semi-structured interviews with 70 villagers for their views on changes in ecosystem services after the establishment of plantations, and their future expectations on the local livelihood development. Most interviewees mentioned some negative development on environmental quality after the establishment of the industrial plantations, especially on soil and water. Furthermore, the reduced productivity of cropland surrounding industrial plantations, coupled with other financial drivers, induced several villagers to switch from agricultural crops to household plantations. In the absence of destructive typhoons, household plantations can provide owners more free time, higher income, while industrial plantations provided some employment opportunities. Interviewees’ expectations for the future included receiving financial support and capacity building for household plantations and crops, support to local roads and schools, and higher employment opportunities. Some interviewees suggested that solutions should be implemented for improving degraded water quality, while others suggested reducing forestry operations. Even though being highly context-specific, our findings open up the discussion about the further community development opportunities in the context of plantation forestry. In particular, the potential of value sharing mechanisms between the private sector and the local communities should be further studied.     

客家文化导向下的梅州旅游景区农朽居民感知与态度分析

本文以广东省梅州市客家文化旅游景区当地农村居民为研究对象,根据Doxey愤怒指数理论,采取问卷调查和访谈相结合的方法,从旅游经济正负面感知、社会文化正负面感知、环境正负面感知及整体感知四大方面分析旅游景区农村居民对旅游发展状况的感知与态度。调查结果表明：农村居民对旅游发展的感知处于“融洽”阶段;农村居民对旅游的正面经济影响感知强烈,对旅游负面经济影响感知也有所认识;居民对社会文化正面感知和环境正面感知强于负面感知,但其负面影响也开始有所彰显。基于此,分别从政府视角、旅游企业管理视角及个人视角提出了相应的政策建议。     

The visual impact of agricultural sheds on rural landscapes: The willingness to pay for mitigation solutions and treatment effects

New rural and industrial sheds cause significant transformations determining a negative change in landscape perception. In this paper the willingness to pay (WTP) of residents to mitigate the visual impact of sheds in the rural areas of the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Vineyard Landscape of Piedmont: Langhe-Roero and Monferrato” is estimated through a Choice Experiment (CE). The CE survey was carried out through face-to-face interviews involving 400 residents. The set of mitigation attributes was selected by means of a landscape analysis and presented to respondents using a set of images (close and distant views). Conditional Logit (CLogit) and Mixed Logit (MXL) models both in preference and in WTP space were estimated. From the empirical point of view, the study shows that sheds are generally perceived as negative landscape elements, and that residents are willing to pay for mitigation solutions, such as tree lines and formal hedgerows. The results are relevant for policy makers since they suggest how agricultural sheds are perceived and which mitigation strategies are preferred by local residents. From the methodological point of view, we estimate and test different models for assessing the effect of the visual treatment (close vs distant view). We show the theoretical equivalence of a fully interacted model (i.e., estimated on the whole sample and including interaction terms with the treatment), with split models of the choice for separate subsamples submitted or not to the treatment. We find that in estimation the equivalence holds in the results of Conditional Logit models, but not in Mixed Logit models. The reasons and implications are discussed.     

社区居民对都市近郊乡村旅游影响的感知与态度的实证研究——以成都花香果居景区为例

近年来,对乡村旅游的研究日益升温,但鲜有学者从居民感知的角度对都市近郊乡村旅游影响进行研究。文章以成都近郊的乡村旅游地花香果居景区为例进行实证研究,通过发放问卷、入户调查等方式将居民对旅游的经济、环境、社会文化及总体影响等4个方面的感知进行均值分析,发现在上述4个方面的正面感知均强于负面感知;通过相关性分析,了解不同社会人口特征与旅游影响感知的相关性。研究发现,花香果居景区居民对旅游积极影响感知强于负面影响,社区归属感越强的居民对旅游发展呈越积极的态度,而学历越高的居民对旅游负面影响感知更为敏感。在研究结论的基础上并提出花香果居乡村旅游发展的若干建议。     

Experts’ perceptions of the sloping land conversion program in the Loess Plateau,China

China’s Sloping Land Conversion Program (SLCP) is the world’s largest payment for ecosystem services program for improving ecological conditions and farmers’ livelihood. Communicating the SLCP outcomes across diverse stakeholder groups in ecological, socio-economic, political and institutional contexts can facilitate the effective implementation of the new round of the SLCP. Experts from various fields involved in the SLCP have developed good connections with governments, agencies, and farmers; therefore they can play an invaluable role in informing urgent policy changes. This study is based upon 24 interviews with the SLCP experts with the aims of assessing their perceptions of ecological, economic, political and social impacts of the SLCP on the Loess Plateau of China, and then gathering their policy recommendations to ensure that the new round of the SLCP would be implemented efficiently. Content analysis based on the grounded theory is used in present study. Judging from expert-based consensual statements from this study’s interviews, the main concerns about the first round of the SLCP on the Loess Plateau are that the dramatic increase in the farmer’s income and livelihood is mainly from off-farm sources rather than the SLCP subsidy, that equitable government compensation is dependent on the outcome of the SLCP, that the aggressive SLCP causes soil drought which have negative effects on ecological restoration, and that the stakeholders’ interaction could be improved. Based on the analyses of the experts’ interviews, the recommendations are summarised as follows: strengthening the farmers’ environmental awareness and vocational skills, establishing multi-source financial supports and flexible compensation mechanisms, establishing participatory planning that requires stakeholder involvement especially farmers and insisting that scientific studies on the ecological restoration of the Loess Plateau must be shared with local governments and farmers.     

Perceptions of impacts,public participation,and learning in the planning,assessment and mitigation of two hydroelectric projects in Uttarakhand,India

The hydropower potential of the state of Uttarakhand, in the Indian Himalaya, is an estimated 20,000 MW, of which approximately 3200 MW have been developed. In conjunction with the central government, Uttarakhand is pursuing a policy of rapidly developing its remaining potential. The necessity for careful planning, assessment and mitigation of this development is paramount, requiring meaningful and effective public participation. This study examined two hydropower projects in Chamoli District. Our purpose was to investigate how stakeholders viewed the projects’ impacts, how local residents were involved in planning, assessment and mitigation, and what the residents learned from their involvement. We used a qualitative methodology involving a document review, participant observation, and semi-directed interviews. Local residents and nongovernmental organizations emphasized adverse social and environmental impacts. They thought the way of life and social fabric of affected villages were significantly altered and future sustainability was uncertain. Industry respondents emphasized the economic benefits. Government officials were relatively balanced in their perceptions. In one project, the only formal participation opportunity occurred during mitigation: development of the catchment area treatment plan. In the other, opportunities were available during assessment (e.g., hearings) and mitigation (e.g., advisory committees). Both projects involved multiple informal efforts at participation (e.g., legal petitions and public protests). Among local residents, there were notable instances of sustainability-oriented learning. The development of hydropower projects in Uttarakhand can become more participative, to improve decision making, promote equity, and create opportunities for sustainability learning.     

平顺太行水乡景区旅游发展对社区的影响

社区参与是旅游可持续发展的重要内容。本文基于社区居民感知的视角研究了平顺太行水乡景区旅游发展对社区的影响。结果表明：社区居民参与旅游业的愿望较强,大多数居民认为旅游发展增加了就业机会和收入、改善了当地的基础设施和乡邻关系,但并未引起物价上涨和贫富分化,未干扰居民生活,没有明显导致当地大气污染、污水和垃圾增多。这说明太行水乡景区发展旅游业并未导致明显的社会、经济和环境问题。     

基于居民生活质量视角的山东城镇相对贫困测度研究

随着2020年农村绝对贫困即将消除,城镇相对贫困问题日渐凸显,阻碍城镇经济及社会的发展,故城镇相对贫困将成为贫困治理的新重点。以山东省为例,从居民生活质量视角对城镇相对贫困进行测度研究,结果发现,福利基础、城镇建设、居民生活状态等指标不同程度地影响着城镇相对贫困。为此,提出了要各方面同时发力,做好顶层设计,建立多元化体系,深化居民生活质量标准,以达到缓解城镇相对贫困问题,提高居民生活质量的目的建议。     

Consumer’s Perception of Fruit Innovation

The objective of the present report is to explore consumers’ perception of fruit and fruit product innovations, in particular nutritionally enriched/fortified fruit and laser-tattoo labeled fruit. These innovations may modify consumers’ visual representation of fruit, influencing their perceptions of fruit integrity. The research included 537 face-to-face interviews with shoppers at the point of sale and was analyzed with the use of factor analysis and multivariate logistic regression. Results show that the consumers pursue “nature integrity–oriented” innovation, for both health and environment-oriented innovation. The consumer is cautious toward innovation and accepts it if the final product keeps its original familiarity. Consumers are more inclined toward innovation if they have a higher education level, are young or middle age, or have a higher income. To conclude, innovation is positively perceived if it respects consumers’ perception of fruit as being intrinsically natural. Innovation in fruit and fruit products should be tested against consumers’ acceptance.     

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.     

Environmental discounting behaviour of smallholder farmers in Chibombo District,Central Zambia

This study utilised 158 semi structured interviews, three focus group discussions and two key informant interviews to achieve its aim of investigating environmental discounting by smallholder farmers in Chibombo, Zambia. Results suggest that most smallholder farmers were willing to continue using mineral fertilisers in the short to medium term even when they were told there could be potentially negative effects as a result. This result was attributed to the farmers’ experience with neutralising soil acidity through lime application and crop rotations. The proportions of smallholder farmers who would continue using pesticides increased with the period it takes for pesticide induced soil infertility to manifest. The respondents seemed more concerned about effects on the soil that would manifest in five years. Smallholder farmers preferred soil improving practices with short term benefits, and low risk. The proportions of smallholder farmers willing to plant fertiliser trees reduced from 68.5 % when the benefits accrue in five years to about 38 % when said benefits accrue to the next generation. Study recommends that agricultural development interventions should focus on low risk, locally available technologies with shorter term benefits and minimal future costs. Study recommends that agricultural development interventions include innovation of practices with shorter term benefits, minimal future costs and farmer sensitisation on the benefits of sustainable agriculture.     

中部六省城镇化质量比较分析与提升对策

城镇化是经济发展方式、居民生活状况、社会事业同步推进的过程。在快速推进城镇化的"十二五"时期,研究城镇化不仅要关注城镇人口的数量增加,更要测度城镇化进程带来的经济、社会、生态等方面的复合效应。文章从经济绩效、社会发展、生态环境、居民生活、空间集约、城乡统筹指标七个方面构建区域城镇化质量评价体系,综合评价中部六省城镇化质量差异及各自的短板,并将各省城镇化速度与质量做对比分析,以期针对各自差距与不同类型采取对策推进各省城镇化速度与质量的协调发展。     

餐饮业发展中食品卫生安全问题的影响与改善措施

近年来,随着社会经济的发展,我国居民的生活水平得到持续提升,对生活质量、食品卫生安全等方面有了更高的要求。但目前我国餐饮业在发展中存在较多问题,对居民的健康生活、社会的稳定发展造成了影响。本文分析了餐饮业发展中食品卫生安全问题所产生的影响,并提出我国餐饮业在发展中存在的食品卫生安全问题和相应的改善措施,希望能改善餐饮业的发展现状,提升餐饮企业的经营管理意识,从而保证食品的卫生安全,推动社会的稳定发展。     

Urban parks: Visitors’ perceptions versus spatial indicators

Urban green spaces and their role in the quality of life of residents have been studied across multiple disciplines, based on empirical measurements or qualitative studies – however, the relation, and its strength, between spatial indicators of urban green spaces and visitors’ perceptions of green spaces are less known. Addressing this knowledge deficit, the present research uses a Geographical Information System (GIS) to link subjective evaluations of the physical environment and objective spatial indicators, to examine the correlation between the perceived and objective characteristics of five urban parks in the city of Szeged, Hungary. A questionnaire survey was used to collect residents’ subjective perceptions of the parks, while objective – which is to say measurable and mappable – spatially explicit indicators of the respective green spaces were calculated using GIS. The subjective evaluations of the parks were matched to the objective indicators using a multiple regression analysis. The statistical analysis yielded two moderate and two minor correlations between the human perceptions of the investigated green spaces and the nine objective environmental indicators examined. These results showed that subjective evaluations and objective data reveal different aspects of the same reality. Therefore, the recommendations from this study are to collectively use human perceptions and objective environmental indicators, both of which are fundamental for adequately capturing the role of urban green spaces in quality of life.     

Managing cities and resolving conflicts: Local people’s attitudes towards urban planning in Kumasi,Ghana

This study explores local people’s attitudes towards urban planning, and the effects of development benefits on local support for planning in Kumasi, Ghana. Kumasi is a rapidly urbanising city in Ghana where urban growth between 2000 and 2010 exceeded 5%, and where local support for urban planning has not been studied adequately. Based on Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly, Town and Country Planning Department and Ghana Statistical Service’s residential area classifications, household survey with 360 respondents were conducted in nine high, middle and low class neighbourhoods in Kumasi, in addition to interviews with six representatives from two planning agencies. Results indicated that two-thirds of the household respondents were positive towards urban planning and support urban planning. The household respondents were aware that more development benefits are possible from an inclusive and pro-poor urban planning. There appears to be correlation between development benefits obtained by local people from urban planning, and support for urban planning, indicating that development benefits impact people’s attitudes towards urban planning. Some of the main problems are social and spatial inequity among people living in different classes of residential neighbourhoods, and lack of locals’ inclusion in urban planning and management. There is a need to clearly address these issues, so that urban planning may get the support of local people which may lead to sustainable urban development.