Pub Date : 2025-01-29DOI: 10.1016/j.apgeog.2025.103524
Carlos R. Azzoni , Rodrigo M.S. Moita , Mateus Rodrigues
This paper examines the overall impact of meal delivery on the restaurant industry, focusing on the two largest Brazilian cities, Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. We employ a staggered difference-in-differences model using data on 30,757 restaurants from 2011 to 2018 in those cities. We calculate the impact on the industry’s number of jobs, restaurant openings, and closures at the area level. Overall, meal delivery has a net positive effect on the industry, leading to job creation and increased activity levels. We estimate an average creation of 94 jobs, 1.4 restaurant openings, and 0.7 closures per area annually. Additionally, we find compelling evidence of network effects.
{"title":"Meal delivery and the local restaurant industry","authors":"Carlos R. Azzoni , Rodrigo M.S. Moita , Mateus Rodrigues","doi":"10.1016/j.apgeog.2025.103524","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apgeog.2025.103524","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper examines the overall impact of meal delivery on the restaurant industry, focusing on the two largest Brazilian cities, Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. We employ a staggered difference-in-differences model using data on 30,757 restaurants from 2011 to 2018 in those cities. We calculate the impact on the industry’s number of jobs, restaurant openings, and closures at the area level. Overall, meal delivery has a net positive effect on the industry, leading to job creation and increased activity levels. We estimate an average creation of 94 jobs, 1.4 restaurant openings, and 0.7 closures per area annually. Additionally, we find compelling evidence of network effects.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48396,"journal":{"name":"Applied Geography","volume":"176 ","pages":"Article 103524"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143360309","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Inequality is a pervasive aspect of human life, manifesting spatially and intertwining with urban form and the built environment. While compactness can enhance urban equity, sprawling forms often amplify disparities. This study explores how compactness and sprawl influence spatial and social inequalities at the neighborhood scale in Ahvaz, Iran. Unlike prior studies, it employs multidimensional indicators to examine urban form alongside inequality and population density, addressing both spatial and statistical dimensions. Using Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) and Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) models, this study evaluates socio-spatial inequalities across 111 neighborhoods. Results reveal that compact neighborhoods generally exhibit lower social and spatial inequality due to better access to urban services, while sprawling areas, particularly in the periphery, face significant inequities. For instance, a one-unit increase in compactness correlates with a 15.2% reduction in social inequality and a 40.5% reduction in spatial inequality. However, the effects of population density vary across neighborhoods; higher density in marginalized areas may exacerbate inequality, necessitating context-sensitive planning. The findings underline the importance of promoting compact urban forms while addressing socio-economic disparities. Recommendations include tailoring urban planning policies to local contexts, improving infrastructure in marginalized neighborhoods, and enhancing service distribution to achieve spatial equity. This research highlights how urban form interventions can mitigate inequalities, contributing to sustainable and resilient urban development in rapidly urbanizing regions like Ahvaz.
{"title":"Examining the relationship between urban form and social inequality: A neighborhood-level analysis","authors":"Mahmoud Arvin , Mehdi Jalaei , Jamal Taheri , Babak Badakhshan , Mahsa Ghane , Ayyoob Sharifi","doi":"10.1016/j.apgeog.2025.103532","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apgeog.2025.103532","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Inequality is a pervasive aspect of human life, manifesting spatially and intertwining with urban form and the built environment. While compactness can enhance urban equity, sprawling forms often amplify disparities. This study explores how compactness and sprawl influence spatial and social inequalities at the neighborhood scale in Ahvaz, Iran. Unlike prior studies, it employs multidimensional indicators to examine urban form alongside inequality and population density, addressing both spatial and statistical dimensions. Using Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) and Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) models, this study evaluates socio-spatial inequalities across 111 neighborhoods. Results reveal that compact neighborhoods generally exhibit lower social and spatial inequality due to better access to urban services, while sprawling areas, particularly in the periphery, face significant inequities. For instance, a one-unit increase in compactness correlates with a 15.2% reduction in social inequality and a 40.5% reduction in spatial inequality. However, the effects of population density vary across neighborhoods; higher density in marginalized areas may exacerbate inequality, necessitating context-sensitive planning. The findings underline the importance of promoting compact urban forms while addressing socio-economic disparities. Recommendations include tailoring urban planning policies to local contexts, improving infrastructure in marginalized neighborhoods, and enhancing service distribution to achieve spatial equity. This research highlights how urban form interventions can mitigate inequalities, contributing to sustainable and resilient urban development in rapidly urbanizing regions like Ahvaz.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48396,"journal":{"name":"Applied Geography","volume":"176 ","pages":"Article 103532"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143345504","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-01-27DOI: 10.1016/j.apgeog.2025.103527
Qin Ye , Xu Zhang , Gang Zeng , Zhan Cao , Shouyu Zhou
This study analyzes the spatial distribution and synergies of technology, design, and market innovation in Chinese cities using data on invention patents, design patents, and trademarks from 296 cities at the prefecture level and above from 2014 to 2022. It focuses on innovation disparities across regions and city sizes. The findings reveal a positive correlation between innovation intensity and both city population size and GDP per capita. Large-scale and eastern cities excel in three types of innovation activities, but innovation differences between cities become balanced as the gap in market innovation gradually narrows. Technology innovation is a key driver of new technology, new design, and new market specialization, and its relatedness and cross-relatedness are the most significant drivers of innovation specialization. Additionally, the synergies of innovation activities show significant heterogeneity across regions and city sizes: in western cities, technology-market cross-relatedness has a stronger impact on new market specialization than in eastern and central cities. The influence of technology relatedness on new technology and new market specialization gradually strengthens as cities shift from east to west and from large to small and medium-sized cities. This study offers new insights into China's urban innovation disparities and provides implications for policy making.
{"title":"The spatial distribution and synergistic effect of different innovation activities in Chinese cities: An analysis based on technology, design, and market activities","authors":"Qin Ye , Xu Zhang , Gang Zeng , Zhan Cao , Shouyu Zhou","doi":"10.1016/j.apgeog.2025.103527","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apgeog.2025.103527","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study analyzes the spatial distribution and synergies of technology, design, and market innovation in Chinese cities using data on invention patents, design patents, and trademarks from 296 cities at the prefecture level and above from 2014 to 2022. It focuses on innovation disparities across regions and city sizes. The findings reveal a positive correlation between innovation intensity and both city population size and GDP per capita. Large-scale and eastern cities excel in three types of innovation activities, but innovation differences between cities become balanced as the gap in market innovation gradually narrows. Technology innovation is a key driver of new technology, new design, and new market specialization, and its relatedness and cross-relatedness are the most significant drivers of innovation specialization. Additionally, the synergies of innovation activities show significant heterogeneity across regions and city sizes: in western cities, technology-market cross-relatedness has a stronger impact on new market specialization than in eastern and central cities. The influence of technology relatedness on new technology and new market specialization gradually strengthens as cities shift from east to west and from large to small and medium-sized cities. This study offers new insights into China's urban innovation disparities and provides implications for policy making.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48396,"journal":{"name":"Applied Geography","volume":"176 ","pages":"Article 103527"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143346019","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-01-23DOI: 10.1016/j.apgeog.2025.103528
Wenjie Zhang , Lu Lin , Qiong Zhu , Dongyang Chen , Wei Ha
Proximity to higher education institutions has played an important role in determining land prices. However, little is known about their effects due to data limitations. We take advantage of the mushrooming of new satellite campuses of universities since China's 1999 higher education expansion to examine the impact of higher education institutions on urban land prices using micro data on land parcel transactions. Using a two-way fixed effects estimator, we find that new satellite campuses increase land prices by 6–13 percent in host counties with greater effects on commercial & residential land. These results survive several robustness checks and heterogeneity-robust estimators. Heterogeneity analysis reveals that new satellite campuses built by four-year institutions have a larger impact on the price of commercial and residential land. The impact on industrial land is more prominent in less developed regions. These results have important implications by bringing to light a key factor in shaping land prices and contributing to understanding the role of higher education institutions in China's rapid urbanization.
{"title":"The effects of new satellite campuses on land prices——Evidence based on micro land transaction data in China","authors":"Wenjie Zhang , Lu Lin , Qiong Zhu , Dongyang Chen , Wei Ha","doi":"10.1016/j.apgeog.2025.103528","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apgeog.2025.103528","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Proximity to higher education institutions has played an important role in determining land prices. However, little is known about their effects due to data limitations. We take advantage of the mushrooming of new satellite campuses of universities since China's 1999 higher education expansion to examine the impact of higher education institutions on urban land prices using micro data on land parcel transactions. Using a two-way fixed effects estimator, we find that new satellite campuses increase land prices by 6–13 percent in host counties with greater effects on commercial & residential land. These results survive several robustness checks and heterogeneity-robust estimators. Heterogeneity analysis reveals that new satellite campuses built by four-year institutions have a larger impact on the price of commercial and residential land. The impact on industrial land is more prominent in less developed regions. These results have important implications by bringing to light a key factor in shaping land prices and contributing to understanding the role of higher education institutions in China's rapid urbanization.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48396,"journal":{"name":"Applied Geography","volume":"176 ","pages":"Article 103528"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143346020","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-01-22DOI: 10.1016/j.apgeog.2025.103509
Vincent Nijman , Jessica Chavez , Devon Simons , Penthai Siriwat , Ratna Ayu Widiaswari , Magdalena S. Svensson
Patterns of illicit trafficking networks can be explained by economic, geographic and environmental factors, and has clear implications for forest management. Rosewood is one of the most valuable taxa in the illegal wildlife trade. We focus on its illegal trade in Indonesia. Here, rosewood is not a protected species, but logging is prohibited in protected areas, logging and transportation of rosewood requires permits, and its international trade is subject to CITES regulations. Using seizure data from 2021 to 2023, we test factors explaining seizure patterns at regency level and conduct a baseline analysis of those arrested and the arresting authorities. Seizures (46, for a total of 4302 logs) occurred throughout southern Indonesia, and seizure activity remained constant over time. Regency size, human population, and purchasing power did not correlate with seizure data, but seizures were positively related to the absolute amount and the percentage of forest present in regencies. A third of logs seized came from state-managed or protected forests. Seizures were carried out by the police (23% in collaboration with other authorities; mean seizure of 85 logs), by forestry officers (45% collaboration; mean 138 logs) and by the army (83% collaboration; mean 245 logs). Violation of forestry and job creation laws, and lack of transport documents were the main reasons for arrests. Number of suspects arrested was unrelated to number of logs seized. Successful prosecution was documented for 21–28% of cases, with an average sentencing of 2 years imprisonment and fines of US$29,000. We show that seizure data can be used to provide a first quantitative assessment of rosewood criminal networks and how this links to forest presence and management. While the end destination for much of Indonesia's rosewood is China, our results support the argument that the rosewood trade network in Indonesia is domestically organized rather than internationally orchestrated, and solutions have to be found within Indonesia's forestry policies and regulations.
{"title":"Quantifying illegal rosewood trade, seizures and forestry law enforcement in Indonesia","authors":"Vincent Nijman , Jessica Chavez , Devon Simons , Penthai Siriwat , Ratna Ayu Widiaswari , Magdalena S. Svensson","doi":"10.1016/j.apgeog.2025.103509","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apgeog.2025.103509","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Patterns of illicit trafficking networks can be explained by economic, geographic and environmental factors, and has clear implications for forest management. Rosewood is one of the most valuable taxa in the illegal wildlife trade. We focus on its illegal trade in Indonesia. Here, rosewood is not a protected species, but logging is prohibited in protected areas, logging and transportation of rosewood requires permits, and its international trade is subject to CITES regulations. Using seizure data from 2021 to 2023, we test factors explaining seizure patterns at regency level and conduct a baseline analysis of those arrested and the arresting authorities. Seizures (46, for a total of 4302 logs) occurred throughout southern Indonesia, and seizure activity remained constant over time. Regency size, human population, and purchasing power did not correlate with seizure data, but seizures were positively related to the absolute amount and the percentage of forest present in regencies. A third of logs seized came from state-managed or protected forests. Seizures were carried out by the police (23% in collaboration with other authorities; mean seizure of 85 logs), by forestry officers (45% collaboration; mean 138 logs) and by the army (83% collaboration; mean 245 logs). Violation of forestry and job creation laws, and lack of transport documents were the main reasons for arrests. Number of suspects arrested was unrelated to number of logs seized. Successful prosecution was documented for 21–28% of cases, with an average sentencing of 2 years imprisonment and fines of US$29,000. We show that seizure data can be used to provide a first quantitative assessment of rosewood criminal networks and how this links to forest presence and management. While the end destination for much of Indonesia's rosewood is China, our results support the argument that the rosewood trade network in Indonesia is domestically organized rather than internationally orchestrated, and solutions have to be found within Indonesia's forestry policies and regulations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48396,"journal":{"name":"Applied Geography","volume":"176 ","pages":"Article 103509"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143345500","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-01-21DOI: 10.1016/j.apgeog.2025.103529
Hanqiu Yue , Yongting Pan , Qingfeng Guan
The development of cities has distinguishing regional characteristics, which makes researchers and decision makers carry out studies and discussions on polycentricity. Current research quantifies morphological polycentricity from the perspective of the center's importance, ignoring their spatial distribution pattern. To fill this gap, this work attempts to provide a two-part framework that measures regional morphological polycentricity: (1) both spatial and size polycentricity are measured by center's influence sphere and standard deviation, respectively, to provide a comprehensive assessment of morphological polycentricity; (2) groups of regions with similar morphological features are identified through K-means clustering by combing spatial polycentricity, size polycentricity and three additional factors. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed framework, we conducted an empirical investigation in 20 Chinese urban agglomerations using the LandScan population distribution data. The findings validate the hypothesis that the distribution of centers cannot be fully characterized only from either spatial or size polycentricity perspective. Furthermore, the 20 urban agglomerations were classified into various categories with distinct morphological characteristics. The results are conducive not only to providing decision-making suggestions for diverse urban agglomerations, but also to further probing into the relationship between them and social issues within the realm of applied geography.
{"title":"Measuring the spatial and size polycentricity: An empirical study of China's urban agglomerations using population distribution data","authors":"Hanqiu Yue , Yongting Pan , Qingfeng Guan","doi":"10.1016/j.apgeog.2025.103529","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apgeog.2025.103529","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The development of cities has distinguishing regional characteristics, which makes researchers and decision makers carry out studies and discussions on polycentricity. Current research quantifies morphological polycentricity from the perspective of the center's importance, ignoring their spatial distribution pattern. To fill this gap, this work attempts to provide a two-part framework that measures regional morphological polycentricity: (1) both spatial and size polycentricity are measured by center's influence sphere and standard deviation, respectively, to provide a comprehensive assessment of morphological polycentricity; (2) groups of regions with similar morphological features are identified through K-means clustering by combing spatial polycentricity, size polycentricity and three additional factors. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed framework, we conducted an empirical investigation in 20 Chinese urban agglomerations using the LandScan population distribution data. The findings validate the hypothesis that the distribution of centers cannot be fully characterized only from either spatial or size polycentricity perspective. Furthermore, the 20 urban agglomerations were classified into various categories with distinct morphological characteristics. The results are conducive not only to providing decision-making suggestions for diverse urban agglomerations, but also to further probing into the relationship between them and social issues within the realm of applied geography.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48396,"journal":{"name":"Applied Geography","volume":"176 ","pages":"Article 103529"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143346254","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-01-19DOI: 10.1016/j.apgeog.2025.103530
Wei Lang , Eddie Chi-man Hui , Tingting Chen , Yan Huang
Rural decline has become a significant global issue, with rural areas facing numerous challenges due to both external and internal risks. These challenges contribute to problems such as population outflow, inadequate infrastructure, limited access to essential services, and a decline in agricultural productivity. In response to this critical situation, alongside the ongoing technological revolution and informatization, the development of digital villages aims to revitalize the rural economy and enhance rural resilience. However, current research on digital villages primarily focuses on information technology devices and the digitalization of infrastructure. To further advance efforts to envision future rural communities empowered by technology-driven solutions, the concept of Rural Computing has emerged. This approach integrates advanced computing technologies and data-driven solutions within the frameworks established by digital villages. The Rural Computing Initiative aims to develop a comprehensive framework for Rural Computing that seeks to strengthen rural resilience. This initiative adopts a holistic approach that encompasses planning, design, construction, and governance while developing an intelligent online data system, an interactive platform, and an accessible toolbox for stakeholders. The successful implementation of this initiative depends on collaboration between governments, residents, and non-profit organizations. The Rural Computing paradigm envisions a well-informed decision-making process in a rich information environment, utilizing advanced monitoring tools to improve living conditions in rural areas.
{"title":"A pathway to empower rural resilience through rural computing: An exploratory study","authors":"Wei Lang , Eddie Chi-man Hui , Tingting Chen , Yan Huang","doi":"10.1016/j.apgeog.2025.103530","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apgeog.2025.103530","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Rural decline has become a significant global issue, with rural areas facing numerous challenges due to both external and internal risks. These challenges contribute to problems such as population outflow, inadequate infrastructure, limited access to essential services, and a decline in agricultural productivity. In response to this critical situation, alongside the ongoing technological revolution and informatization, the development of digital villages aims to revitalize the rural economy and enhance rural resilience. However, current research on digital villages primarily focuses on information technology devices and the digitalization of infrastructure. To further advance efforts to envision future rural communities empowered by technology-driven solutions, the concept of Rural Computing has emerged. This approach integrates advanced computing technologies and data-driven solutions within the frameworks established by digital villages. The Rural Computing Initiative aims to develop a comprehensive framework for Rural Computing that seeks to strengthen rural resilience. This initiative adopts a holistic approach that encompasses planning, design, construction, and governance while developing an intelligent online data system, an interactive platform, and an accessible toolbox for stakeholders. The successful implementation of this initiative depends on collaboration between governments, residents, and non-profit organizations. The Rural Computing paradigm envisions a well-informed decision-making process in a rich information environment, utilizing advanced monitoring tools to improve living conditions in rural areas.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48396,"journal":{"name":"Applied Geography","volume":"176 ","pages":"Article 103530"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143346253","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-01-17DOI: 10.1016/j.apgeog.2025.103517
Siyuan Feng , Wenwu Zhao , Jinming Yan , Fangzhou Xia , Han Wang , Ao Zhou , Paulo Pereira
Climate change and intensified human activity have increased soil erosion in China's drylands. Understanding the levels and trends of wind and water erosion in China's drylands over the past decades and analysing the contribution rate and spatiotemporal variations of vegetation cover and meteorological factors in wind and water erosion risks is crucial for land management. We applied the RWEQ and RUSLE models to assess the inter-annual trends, simulate the spatial patterns, and identify the factors contributing to wind and water erosion in China's drylands. Our findings revealed that (1) Water and wind erosion exhibit distinct spatial patterns across China's drylands. The southeast regions, with higher precipitation, predominantly experience water erosion, while the northwest regions, with higher wind speeds and lower rainfall, are more susceptible to wind erosion. (2) Meteorological factors significantly influence soil wind and water erosion, and this influence is increasing. However, the buffering effect of vegetation cover is shown to mitigate the erosive impact of these meteorological conditions in this study. By analysing the contributions and trends of soil erosion factors, this study provides valuable insights for developing targeted land management strategies and implementing practical eco-restoration efforts to achieve land degradation neutrality.
{"title":"Vegetation restoration contributes to a reduction in wind and water erosion in China's drylands","authors":"Siyuan Feng , Wenwu Zhao , Jinming Yan , Fangzhou Xia , Han Wang , Ao Zhou , Paulo Pereira","doi":"10.1016/j.apgeog.2025.103517","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apgeog.2025.103517","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Climate change and intensified human activity have increased soil erosion in China's drylands. Understanding the levels and trends of wind and water erosion in China's drylands over the past decades and analysing the contribution rate and spatiotemporal variations of vegetation cover and meteorological factors in wind and water erosion risks is crucial for land management. We applied the RWEQ and RUSLE models to assess the inter-annual trends, simulate the spatial patterns, and identify the factors contributing to wind and water erosion in China's drylands. Our findings revealed that (1) Water and wind erosion exhibit distinct spatial patterns across China's drylands. The southeast regions, with higher precipitation, predominantly experience water erosion, while the northwest regions, with higher wind speeds and lower rainfall, are more susceptible to wind erosion. (2) Meteorological factors significantly influence soil wind and water erosion, and this influence is increasing. However, the buffering effect of vegetation cover is shown to mitigate the erosive impact of these meteorological conditions in this study. By analysing the contributions and trends of soil erosion factors, this study provides valuable insights for developing targeted land management strategies and implementing practical eco-restoration efforts to achieve land degradation neutrality.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48396,"journal":{"name":"Applied Geography","volume":"176 ","pages":"Article 103517"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143346252","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-01-15DOI: 10.1016/j.apgeog.2025.103511
Xiaoyin He , Ronghua Zhong , Wenjuan Zhao , Long Sun , Ranhao Sun
Hydropower construction is a rapidly expanding trend in developing countries, impacting local human well-being profoundly. This study applied the sustainable livelihoods framework to analyze the relationship between household livelihood assets, demographic characteristics, and livelihood strategy reselection. In 2022, this study assessed the livelihood of 283 households affected by the Wudongde Hydropower Station in the Jinsha River Basin of China. We found that (1) 76.7% of households had adopted an agricultural strategy before resettlement, while 94.0% of households engaged in a pure non-agricultural strategy after resettlement, including non-agricultural sustained (NAS), self-employed (SE), wage-employed (WE), and subsidy-dependent (SD). (2) Hydropower resettlement led to a significant reduction in natural assets by 58.4% and an increase in physical assets by 62.5%. The SD households experienced more pronounced declines in financial and human assets than the WE, SE, and NAS groups. (3) Relative changes in natural, physical, financial, and human assets, combined with household demographic characteristics including the ethnic minority ratio, the children and older people ratio, and average years of education, influenced the choices of livelihood strategies after resettlement. For the future, it is recommended that the government strengthen ethnic cohesion, promote entrepreneurial initiatives, provide employment skills training, and enhance social security assistance.
{"title":"Livelihood changes of migrants due to hydropower construction: A case study from Southwestern China","authors":"Xiaoyin He , Ronghua Zhong , Wenjuan Zhao , Long Sun , Ranhao Sun","doi":"10.1016/j.apgeog.2025.103511","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apgeog.2025.103511","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Hydropower construction is a rapidly expanding trend in developing countries, impacting local human well-being profoundly. This study applied the sustainable livelihoods framework to analyze the relationship between household livelihood assets, demographic characteristics, and livelihood strategy reselection. In 2022, this study assessed the livelihood of 283 households affected by the Wudongde Hydropower Station in the Jinsha River Basin of China. We found that (1) 76.7% of households had adopted an agricultural strategy before resettlement, while 94.0% of households engaged in a pure non-agricultural strategy after resettlement, including non-agricultural sustained (NAS), self-employed (SE), wage-employed (WE), and subsidy-dependent (SD). (2) Hydropower resettlement led to a significant reduction in natural assets by 58.4% and an increase in physical assets by 62.5%. The SD households experienced more pronounced declines in financial and human assets than the WE, SE, and NAS groups. (3) Relative changes in natural, physical, financial, and human assets, combined with household demographic characteristics including the ethnic minority ratio, the children and older people ratio, and average years of education, influenced the choices of livelihood strategies after resettlement. For the future, it is recommended that the government strengthen ethnic cohesion, promote entrepreneurial initiatives, provide employment skills training, and enhance social security assistance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48396,"journal":{"name":"Applied Geography","volume":"176 ","pages":"Article 103511"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143360307","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-01-14DOI: 10.1016/j.apgeog.2025.103515
Hongping Cui , Liang Zheng , Ying Wang
Both the land transfer and livelihood transition decisions of rural households are continuously evolving and closely interconnected, particularly within the context of the ongoing rural-urban divide and agricultural modernization. Existing research, however, fails to capture the dynamics in land transfer decisions and their impacts on rural household livelihood transitions, often overlooking the endogeneity of causality. To address this gap, this study utilizes a nationally representative panel dataset of 2276 rural households to delineate households' livelihood strategies through k-means clustering and analyze the characteristics, trends in livelihood transition, and shifts in land transfer decisions among these households from 2010 to 2020. By employing panel instrumental variable methods to mitigate endogeneity effects, we investigate the effects of changes in land transfer decisions on livelihood transitions in China and examine the moderating role of social networks. The results suggest a shift in rural households' livelihood strategies from predominantly agricultural focused to a more diversified approach encompassing both agricultural and non-agricultural pursuits. There has been a growth trend in land transfer decisions, with a higher prevalence of land out-transfer compared to land in-transfer. Notably, changes in land transfer decisions exert a significant negative impact on households’ livelihood transitions (β = −0.3699, P < 0.05). Furthermore, social networks play a significant role in moderating the effects of land transfer decisions on livelihood transitions. The direction and magnitude of the impact vary depending on the differentiation in village social network structure, geomorphologic characteristics, and the presence of ecological conservation zones. These findings underscore the importance of regulating land transfer as a pivotal element of policymaking to promote sustainable rural development and enhance rural household livelihoods.
{"title":"The impact of changes in land transfer decisions on rural livelihood transitions: Evidence from dynamic panel data in China","authors":"Hongping Cui , Liang Zheng , Ying Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.apgeog.2025.103515","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apgeog.2025.103515","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Both the land transfer and livelihood transition decisions of rural households are continuously evolving and closely interconnected, particularly within the context of the ongoing rural-urban divide and agricultural modernization. Existing research, however, fails to capture the dynamics in land transfer decisions and their impacts on rural household livelihood transitions, often overlooking the endogeneity of causality. To address this gap, this study utilizes a nationally representative panel dataset of 2276 rural households to delineate households' livelihood strategies through k-means clustering and analyze the characteristics, trends in livelihood transition, and shifts in land transfer decisions among these households from 2010 to 2020. By employing panel instrumental variable methods to mitigate endogeneity effects, we investigate the effects of changes in land transfer decisions on livelihood transitions in China and examine the moderating role of social networks. The results suggest a shift in rural households' livelihood strategies from predominantly agricultural focused to a more diversified approach encompassing both agricultural and non-agricultural pursuits. There has been a growth trend in land transfer decisions, with a higher prevalence of land out-transfer compared to land in-transfer. Notably, changes in land transfer decisions exert a significant negative impact on households’ livelihood transitions (β = −0.3699, P < 0.05). Furthermore, social networks play a significant role in moderating the effects of land transfer decisions on livelihood transitions. The direction and magnitude of the impact vary depending on the differentiation in village social network structure, geomorphologic characteristics, and the presence of ecological conservation zones. These findings underscore the importance of regulating land transfer as a pivotal element of policymaking to promote sustainable rural development and enhance rural household livelihoods.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48396,"journal":{"name":"Applied Geography","volume":"176 ","pages":"Article 103515"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143346251","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}