Understanding rural system with a social-ecological framework: Evaluating sustainability of rural evolution in Jiangsu province, South China

• Published in: Journal of rural studies Vol. 86; pp. 171 - 180
• Main Authors: Zang, Yuzhu, Yang, Yuanyuan, Liu, Yansui
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elmsford Elsevier Ltd 01.08.2021; Elsevier Science Ltd
• Subjects: Case studies; Climate; Cognition; Ecological effects; Ecology; Economic depression; Environmental aspects; Evolution; External drivers; Globalization; Heterogeneity; Immigration; Immigration policy; Multisource; Policy analysis; Policy implementation; Population decline; Rural areas; Rural development; Rural environments; Rural evolution; Rural sustainability; Social-ecological framework; Socioeconomic factors; Socioeconomics; Spatial heterogeneity; Sustainability; Sustainable development; Towns; Transformation; Urban policy; Urbanization; Jiangsu China; China; Social-ecological framework; Rural evolution; External drivers; Rural sustainability
• ISSN: 0743-0167; 1873-1392
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jrurstud.2021.05.008

Rural evolution is a multifaceted combination of social, economic and ecological changes. Existing research about rural evolution focused on the socioeconomic transformation but paid inadequate attention to the ecological aspects and the links to external settings. In this research, we structured the cognition of rural evolution with a social-ecological framework, evaluated the sustainability of rural evolution with multisource data, and analyzed its external driving forces. Taking Jiangsu Province as a case study, we found that, (1) Rural evolution showed spatial heterogeneity in Jiangsu Province. From 2000 to 2015, rural evolution in South Jiangsu demonstrated a sustainable trend, while the rural system in North and Central Jiangsu was on the decline. (2) Population, social outcomes and ecological environment were predominant internal variables that determined the trend of rural evolution. With developed economy, good human well beings and large immigration, South Jiangsu surpassed North and Central Jiangsu in terms of rural sustainability. Although North and Central Jiangsu got higher scores on ecological environment, it was not sufficient to offset the negative effects of population loss and economic depression on rural sustainability. (3) Both the socioeconomic and ecological settings at larger scale had effects on rural evolution. Flat terrain, mild climate, advantageous location, good socioeconomic base as well as progress in infrastructures, globalization and marketization provided favorable conditions for rural development. However, over rapid urbanization had negative impacts on rural sustainability due to the urban-biased policy. Based on the results, we proposed to develop small towns and promote bottom-up urbanization to reconcile the conflicts between rural development and urbanization. To pursuit rural sustainability, a problem-driven, solution-oriented approach was also needed to avoid one-size-fits-all implementation of policy design. •Rural evolution is rooted in the interactions between human system and natural system.•The spatial pattern of rural evolution is mainly determined by population, social outcomes and ecological environment.•Progress of infrastructures, globalization and marketization are conducive to advance sustainable rural evolution.•Progress of urbanization shows negative feedbacks on sustainability of rural evolution.•A bottom-up urbanization strategy is needed to balance urbanization and sustainable rural development.