Assessment of Sustainable Regional Development Policies： A Case Study of Jambi Province, Indonesia

This paper presents a study of sustainable regional development using multi-criteria analysis. The aim of this paper is to provide an evaluation framework that can be used for the assessment of sustainable regional development using multi criteria linked to development scenarios set by stakeholders. This study was carried out in Jambi Province in Indonesia where balancing sustainable development is constrained by the fact that conservation areas make up the majority of the region. The study employs four alternative policy scenarios for regional sustainable development： （1） business as usual; （2） development based on regional competitiveness; （3） development based on local resources; and （4） regional development based on non-extractive scenario. These four scenarios were assessed using the FLAG Model and the Imprecise Decision Model. Results from analysis show that development policy scenarios based on utilization of local resources and non-extractive economic activities are the most sustainable way of regional development. The study shows the trade-off among policy scenarios must be faced by policy makers in the region either to pursue high economic growth at the cost of the environment or vice versa.

Consumptive ecological footprint and productive ecological footprint: a modification on ecological footprint theory to evaluate regional sustainable development

Ecological footprint theory and its application achievements in global and regional sustainable development systems are studied by consulting the published literature, which finds that the application of ecological footprint theory to regional sustainability evaluation has leaded to a perplexity that the indicated result was inconsistent with the philosophy of sustainable development theory. Illuminated by the mechanical system of the movement of matters, it comes up that ecological footprint based on consumption of biologic production could not tell whether the ecological pressure acts on the specified region, and the original ecological footprint theory also undervalued the development impartiality of a region. A modification on this theory is made by introducing consumptive ecological footprint and productive ecological footprint, in which the latter is taken as the indicator of regional sustainability. The development impartiality can be demonstrated by comparison between the global ecological deficit per capita and regional consumptive ecological deficit per capita.

Simulating,adjusting and testing regional sustainable development──a case study of Jiangxi Province

Based on impact of human activities on regional information system, this paper focuses on sedating, adjusting and testing methodology adopted for the regional sustainable development. The case study of Jiangxi Province aims to show how to simulate, adjust and test regional sustainable development in all provinces.

Evolution of Jianghan Lakes and regional sustainable development

Jianghan Lakes lie in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River. The evolution of the lakes during Holocene can be divided into three periods. Since Ming Dynasty, owing to natural factors and human activity, the lakes have accelerated the shrinking process. This has resulted in a series of rural and urban environmental problems, such as the disasters of flooding, inundation, and water\|logging; declination of aquatic resources; increase of diseases; swamping of lake districts; and deterioration of urban environment (taking Wuhan City into consideration). In order to realize sustainable development in this area, several corresponding countermeasures should be taken.

Review on Quantitative Research Methods of Regional Sustainable Development in China

Since the 1990s, with the in-depth study and understanding of sustainable development, quantitative study of regional sustainable development (RSD) was increasingly hot in China. Based on quantitative study of RSD from Core Periodical in China National Knowledge Infrastructure (1992–2008), statistical analysis on the annual distribution, periodicals distribution and changes of the distribution were made. And from perspectives of social–economic, ecological, systematic and emerging methods, the course, problems and trends of the quantitative study methods on RSD were examined and analyzed to get a clear summary. By the review, the context on the quantitative study of RSD was to be clarified. The study also showed that, primarily, fields involving quantitative study are expanding; second, big progresses and constant development have been made on the systematic method gradually sophisticated, the flourishing ecological method and emerging new methods in the context of cross and integration which has made complex integrated systems a more satisfactory solution; third, the method system has been more multi-angled, and the clues of independent innovation have been observed despite the fact that the introduction of imported method is the main trend. Although many problems exist, multi-scale study, dynamic timeseries study and inter-regional comparative study will be further exploited and increasingly carried out with the progress of spatial information technology, which would boost the development and application of new methods in RSD study.

LAND RECLAMATION IS BASIC GUARANTEE OF REGIONAL SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN COAL MINING AREAS IN CHINA

Necessity of land reclamation is discussed, setting out viewpoint of sustainable development and land connotation and its attribute and combining destroyed forms and characteristics of land in coal mining areas. It is pointed out that land reclamation of coal mining areas is basic guarantee of solving contradiction between coal mining areas and countryside,raising life of resident and ensuring regional sustainable development.

Research on Converting Cultivated Land into Forests and Regional Sustainable Development

The capability of sustainable development of Wuchuan County is evaluated comprehensively with theories and methods of regional sustainable development capability evaluation, which are extensively applied at home and abroad. The results indicate that the developing speed and patterns of Wuchuan County cannot satisfy the demand of the regional sustainable development. Moreover, the patterns, distributions, tree species, growing patterns, and other aspects must consider the restriction of ecological water utilization. It is put forward that the standards for selecting the converting lands are slope, desertification degree, and rainfall.In addition, the control of soil erosion and the prevention of land desertification are selected as the dualpurpose of the converting project.

Emergy-based study on eco-economic system of arid and semi-arid region:a case of Gansu province,China

Taking Gansu province as a model case,this study provides an integrated analysis on the eco-economic system of arid and semi-arid region based on emergy synthesis theory. Through calculating the values of renewable emergy flow,non-renewable resources,imported emergy,exported emergy,waste emergy,and total emergy during the period of 1978-2007,the performance of Gansu eco-economic system was analyzed. The results indicated that the renewable emergy flow within the province basically remained steady state which was estimated at 2.99×1022 solar emjoules (sej) from 1978 to 2007. The imported emergy and exported emergy were estimated at 3.75×1017 sej and 2.99×1020 sej in 1978 and increased to 1.07×1022 sej and 1.44×1022 sej respectively in 2007. The nonrenewable emergy flow was estimated at 1.62×1022 sej and increased to 1.85×1023 sej,with annual growth rate of 8.7%,while the estimated total emergy was 4.58×1022 sej in 1978 and increased to 2.11×1023 sej in 2007,with annual growth rate of 5.41%. Our results indicate a deteriorate situation between economic development and environmental protection in the region. The rapid economic growth in the past thirty years was based on a great consumption of nonrenewable resource and caused continuous decrease in the capacity of sustainable development. The environmental loading ratio was 0.53 in 1978,increased to 6.06 in 2007,indicating a rapid degradation of the regional environment quality. We calculated that the actual population was 1.53 times the renewable resource population in 1978,increased to 7.06 times in 2007. During the period of 1978-2007,the emergy rose from 2.45×1015 sej/(capita·a) to 8.07×1015 sej/(capita·a). Our analysis revealed that the emergy density presented a trend of gradual increase,and then the emergy currency ratio in Gansu decreased from 7.08×1013 sej/Chinese Yuan to 7.82×1012 sej/Chinese Yuan.

Illustrating the multi-stakeholder perceptions of environmental pollution based on big data:Lessons from China

The relationship between stakeholders and the environment influences sustainable development and human wellbeing.To illustrate the multi-stakeholder perceptions of environmental pollution in China,we interpreted a feedback loop in the perception-behavior-environment nexus from the perspective of the coupled human-environment system,measured the differences of environmental perceptions among five stakeholders(the public,government,media,companies,and scientists)and regions(including 31 provinces,autonomous regions,and municipalities in China,with exceptions of Taiwan of China,Hong Kong of China,and Macao of China due to a lack of data)using big data,and made a comparison between the perceptions and the actual pollution situation.The results showed that the five stakeholders exhibited similar perceptions of environmental pollution at the national scale,with air pollution being of most concern,followed by water pollution and soil pollution.There were significant spatial differences in environmental perceptions.All stakeholders in the developed regions in eastern China paid relatively high attention to environmental issues,while those in the northwestern regions paid much less attention.There existed a mutual influence and interaction among the different stakeholders.More attention should be paid to air pollution in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region,water pollution in Hainan Province,Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region,Heilongjiang Province,and Jilin Province,and soil pollution in Hainan Province,Fujian Province,and Jilin Province.This paper provides a research paradigm on multi-stakeholder environmental perceptions based on big data,and the results provide a background reference for regional environmental governance.

Practice and Research Progress on Ecosystem Conservation in Transboundary Areas

Many ecosystems extend across national or political boundaries. The consistent and effective protection of these ecosystems in transboundary areas(ETAs) is an important global research focus. Previous research on the protection of such areas can be categorized into seven themes: 1) ecological conservation of a single ETA; 2) investigation of the effects of a single conservation measure on a specific ETA; 3) determination of species-level effects due to ETA conservation; 4) comparison of the same protection measures between different ETAs; 5) introduction of a single conservation measure to a specific ETA; 6) understanding the relationship between conservation and sustainable development; and 7) generalization across multiple ETA conservation cases. The protection of ETAs involves various considerations, including funding support, demand and will for collaboration, community and public participation, historical and cultural factors, political backgrounds, uniqueness of biological resources, formulation of laws and regulations, founding of specialized administrative departments, non-governmental organizations, and fairness. Here, we briefly explain the research themes and considerations related to ETA conservation. The most important finding is that most major research themes do not focus on the challenges of ETA conservation. We use two nature reserves located between China and North Korea as examples to identify specific ways to improve ETA conservation on Changbai Mountains. The efficiency of ETA administration still remains low. The study of ETA conservation should focus on concrete regional information and aim to improve existing measures through the accumulation of experience.

Ecotoudsm Model and Benefits of Periphery Regions in Western Sichuan Province

There are many problems in the minority regions of western Sichuan Province,such as serious soil erosion,fragile ecological environment,low levels of economy and so on.Ad- vantages of tourism resources in the"periphery regions"should be fully utilized,and"multi-tourism"meets the characteristics and present situation of the minority regions.The"multi-tourism de- velopment model"can exert the functions of tourism as the key industry.Based on the demands and the internal linkages among different industries,the model can accelerate the development of related-industries,such as eco-agriculture,eco-industry and so on. Through implementing the multi-tourism model,we can fully utilize the advantages of the periphery regions and promote the sustainable development of regional economy.

Lessons and prospects of Sino-Russian Arctic cooperation

The strategic partnership between China and Russia is creating solid ground for the cooperative development of the Arctic. These two states＇ joint development of the Northern Sea Route will not only provide additional impulse to the export- oriented economy of China and allow further diversification of supply routes to China, but will also promote investment into the infrastructure and economic growth of Russian northern territories. Climate change in the Arctic has forced China and Russia to acknowledge the sustainable use of the Arctic. On the one hand, exploration of the region should not harm indigenous people＇s rights and should help this population improve their standard of living by providing qualified healthcare and opportunities for commercial fulfillment of traditional crafts. On the other hand, this exploration should also include elimination of harmful anthropogenic impact and provide support for environment self-restoration. Sino-Russian Arctic cooperation will help humans discover eco-friendly approaches to use Arctic resources, promote rational use of the Arctic and inspire sustainable development of the region.

Study on the ecotourism model of ethnic areas in western Sichuan Province under the comprehensive tourism strategy:a case of Zoige County

The ethnic areas of western Sichuan Province are characterized by complicated topography, seismic active zone, serious soil erosion, fragile eco-environment, low level of economy, and so on. Periphery regions and central regions appear in western Sichuan Province. The socioconomic development in the central regions is at high level, whereas the ethnic areas are generally at lower level. Moreover. the deterioration of the eco-environment has seriously restricted the development of traditional industries in the ethnic areas, and it is necessary to develop environment-friendly and resource-saving industries. The ethnic areas of western Sichuan Province are rich in tourism resources, and have the potentiality of developing ecotourism. Advantages＇ of tourism resources in the ethnic areas should be made full use of and ＂comprehensive tourism ＂ is the requirement of the characteristics and the status quo of the ethnic areas. The ＂comprehensive tourism development model ＂ has the functions of ecotourism on the key industry. Based on the demands and the interaction among different industries, the model cart accelerate the development of related-industries, such as eco-agrieulture, eco-industry, eco-tertiary industry, and so on. Through implementing the comprehensive tourism model, we can fully utilize the advantages of ethnic areas, and promote the rapid and sustainable growth of regional economy, and also the harmonious development of economy, environment and society.