Introduction:Sustainability requires the reconciling of human needs with the healthy natural ecosystem,which should be achieved within the grand course of industrialization and modernization.Systematic transitions on demography,economy,technology,and institutions are required,while different civilizations may take their respective paths.In this study,we analyze the social-ecological transitions of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China during the past century,focusing on major changes in its environmental,demographic,and socioeconomic conditions.Results:A two-level social-ecological system analysis framework was proposed,and four stages of transition were identified:traditional nomadism,primitive industrial civilization,collectivization era,and economic reform/opendoor policy era.Our analysis showed that Inner Mongolia has made great achievements in its socioeconomic domains but is faced with numerous challenging environmental problems.Overconsumption of resources and failure to curtail ecological degradation may lead to a trap of unsustainability.Conclusions:However,the slowing-down population growth,improvements of the economic structure,and many new sustainability initiatives and strong support from the central government together give hope for a sustainable future of the region.
China’s rural industrialization has been a major driver for its rapid economic growth during the recent decades,but its myriad environmental risks are yet to be fully understood.Based on a comprehensive national land-use data set,our study shows that the area of China’s rural industrial land(RIL)quadrupled during 1990–2015,reaching 39338 km2 in 2015,comparable to urbanization in magnitude but with a much greater degree of landscape fragmentation which implies stronger ecological and environmental impacts.About 91%of the protected areas in the central China were within 50 km from rural industrial land,thus exposed to industrial disturbances.Accelerated rural industrial land expansion,particularly in regions under high geo-hazard risks,led to dramatically increased environmental risks,threatening the safety and health of both rural industrial workers and residents.Moreover,negative effects from rural industrial land expansion could partially offset the crop production growth in recent decades.The underprivileged rural population in the west bears a disproportionally large share of the increased environmental risks.China urgently needs to design and implement sustainable policies to restrict and reshape its rural industrialization.This study aims to inspire policy makers and researchers to rethink the current model of industrial expansion and improve rural industrial land planning,which is important for achieving the sustainable development goals of China.
Chi ZhangWenhui KuangJianguo WuJiyuan LiuHanqin Tian
