Wehner, Stefanie:
ISBN 9783862472284

Transformation of Rural Space from an Institutional Perspective. Socio-economic development and land use change in Xishuangbanna, Southwest China # Pb., 178 S., 31 Abb., davon 8 in Farbe, 16 Tab.


SCHLAGWORTE:
Socio-Ecology
Sozialökologie
Land Use Change
Landnutzungswandel
Rural Southwest China
Ländliches Südwest-China
China
Institutional Change
Institutioneller Wandel

Landscapes and societies in Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture in Southwest China have undergone unprecedented changes over the last 60 years. These transformations within the landscapes manifest themselves as land cover change, for example intensification of traditional land use systems and introduction of monocultures leading to deforestation, loss of biodiversity and other forms of environmental degradation. At the same time, communities and societies within these landscapes have experienced a certain degree of economic development, mainly through exploitation of natural resources. Through changing of political and economic frameworks, they have also profound transformations within their social and socio-cultural configurations. Based on the outcomes of field work in Xishuangbanna between 2006 and 2010, this study examines institutions, institutional voids and institutional change concerning land-use in the Naban River Watershed National Nature Reserve. Combining socio-economic and ecological data, patterns of land-use change and their interrelation to local communities are explored. With the emergence of the rubber-line, a socio-ecological frontier, disparities between upland and lowland landscapes and communities are intensifying.

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