Feature Papers for 'Land Socio-Economic and Political Issues' Section

A special issue of Land (ISSN 2073-445X). This special issue belongs to the section "Land Socio-Economic and Political Issues".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 October 2023) | Viewed by 23184

Special Issue Editors

Institute of Economy and Social Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, 51006 Tartu, Estonia
Interests: agricultural economics; competitiveness and sustainability of rural economy; cooperatives; rural economics and sustainable bioeconomy; circle- bioeconomy and value chains
Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, 51006 Tartu, Estonia
Interests: land use policy; agricultural policy; agricultural development and land use change; socio-economics; food systems

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Understanding land as a coupled human-environment system has become increasingly important in research and policy-making at local, regional, national, and international scales. Research on land systems and their socio-economic and political issues contributes to broader land management by linking land use to the social, economic, and environmental dimensions of sustainability. Recent advances in land science include understanding of human-environment relationships that underpin and drive land system dynamics. These advances led to the measurement and monitoring of land changes, application of geographic information systems, remote sensing, and modelling technologies, and the increased availability of datasets (e.g., time series data). Overall, these advances provide opportunities to offer new insights into land systems, the nature of change, and the consequences of policy and other interventions. This section of the Special Issue in Land will focus on the social, economic, political, legal, physical, and planning aspects of urban and rural land use, different land policies, and the nexus of human–land–environment tied with contemporary and historical land issues. This SI attempts to provide the exchange of ideas and information from a diverse range of disciplines and interest groups that must be combined to formulate effective land use policies. Understanding the drivers, trends, and impacts of different contemporary and historical land issues on social and natural processes helps reveal how changes in the land system impact the functioning of socio-economic systems as a whole as well as the tradeoff between these changes. By studying the interplay between social and economic systems that shape land use policies, land issues operate at the interface of the social and economic sciences. They require a high level of interdisciplinary collaboration across academic disciplines, which is reflected in this section of Land. The main contributions of this SI range from conceptual and theoretical interventions to policy-related analyses and from empirical case studies to cross-site comparisons, continental, and global analyses. The priority areas include contemporary and historical land issues, notably socio-economic relations, politics and dynamics of power, land governance, land tenure, access to the land, land market, land rights, and other relevant topics at regional and global levels. The ultimate goal of this SI is to guide governments, policymakers, and planners, and it is also a valuable resource for researchers.

The SI of the Section Feature Paper for: “Land Socio-Economic and Political Issues” welcomes contributions concerning the observation and changes in land systems. Innovative and transparent datasets and tools are essential features to foster land science. We welcome reviews and outstanding articles to this IS in order to improve the current knowledge regarding datasets and models for land systems and global change studies.

In this SI, we invite papers focusing on, but are not limited to, the following topics:

  • Land management:
  • Landscape planning, conservation, and management;
  • Urban/rural planning and development;
  • Land monitoring;
  • Land and gender;
  • Land tenure, including disputes and land grabs;
  • Urban tenure security;
  • Indigenous and community land rights.
  • Land socio-economic:
  • Land and investments;
  • Livelihoods and food security;
  • Land and sustainable development goals;
  • Elements of land economics;
  • Agricultural economics;
  • Rural economics;
  • Farm account/coasting;
  • Supply chain, marketing, and consumption.
  • Land politics:
  • Global land grab;
  • Competing political tendencies in governance of land grabbing;
  • Land sovereignty;
  • Human rights to land;
  • Property regimes in land and natural resources;
  • Land transaction and land governance;
  • Land reform;
  • Land conflict.

Prof. Dr. Hossein Azadi
Prof. Dr. Rando Värnik
Dr. Ants-Hannes Viira
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Land is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • land history
  • sociology of land
  • land use policy
  • institutional arrangements on land
  • property rights
  • land administration

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Published Papers (14 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 2089 KiB  
Article
Research on the Spatial Disparities and Convergence of Guangdong’s Urban Economy Based on Industrial Agglomeration and Industrial Proximity
by Xiaojin Huang, Renzhong Guo, Weixi Wang, Xiaoming Li and Yong Fan
Land 2024, 13(1), 73; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13010073 - 08 Jan 2024
Viewed by 771
Abstract
Understanding the spatial differences and evolutionary characteristics of urban economy and exploring the impact of industrial agglomeration and industrial proximity on urban economic convergence are the bases for scientifically formulating policies for coordinated regional economic development. This study used QGIS 3.10.10 software and [...] Read more.
Understanding the spatial differences and evolutionary characteristics of urban economy and exploring the impact of industrial agglomeration and industrial proximity on urban economic convergence are the bases for scientifically formulating policies for coordinated regional economic development. This study used QGIS 3.10.10 software and the Theil index to analyze the spatial distribution characteristics and regional disparities of urban economy. Then, a spatial econometric model was constructed to analyze the convergence and influencing factors of Guangdong’s urban economy. The results indicate that from 2006 to 2020, Guangdong’s urban economy grew rapidly and the degree of economic agglomeration gradually weakened, but its economic pattern always maintained the “Core-Edge” structural feature. The interval disparities between the Pearl River Delta Urban Agglomeration (PRD) and the edge area have always been greater than the intra-regional disparities, so they are main source of disparities in Guangdong. In Guangdong’s urban economy, σ-convergence and β-convergence coexist. The conditional β-convergence rate is 0.96~1.53%, and the half-life cycle is 45.4~72.36 years. Compared to the PRD, the economic disparities in the edge area are smaller but the convergence speed is faster and the half-life cycle is shorter. Both industrial agglomeration and industrial proximity have a significant impact on the economic convergence of Guangdong’s cities. Among them, industrial agglomeration has a positive impact, while industrial proximity has a negative impact. There is spatial heterogeneity in the impact of industries on economic development. Industrial agglomeration has a positive impact on the overall economic development of Guangdong, but it is not significant within the regions. Industrial proximity has significant negative externalities in the PRD region, and its impact is not significant in the edge area. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers for 'Land Socio-Economic and Political Issues' Section)
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19 pages, 1989 KiB  
Article
Factors Influencing Livelihood Resilience of Households Resettled from Coal Mining Areas and Their Measurement—A Case Study of Huaibei City
by Peijun Wang, Jing Wang, Chunbo Zhu, Yan Li, Weijun Sun and Jinyi Li
Land 2024, 13(1), 13; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13010013 - 20 Dec 2023
Viewed by 713
Abstract
The application of livelihood resilience theory to villages that have been resettled due to coal mining provides insights into the levels and impediments of livelihood resilience under different resettlement models. Such an exploration holds critical significance for enhancing the livelihood resilience of the [...] Read more.
The application of livelihood resilience theory to villages that have been resettled due to coal mining provides insights into the levels and impediments of livelihood resilience under different resettlement models. Such an exploration holds critical significance for enhancing the livelihood resilience of the resettled households and promoting sustainable development in coal mining areas. Grounded in the theoretical framework of livelihood resilience and considering the realities of mining areas, by referring to existing studies, this study devises an evaluative index system. Utilizing the TOPSIS model to calculate the level of livelihood resilience, and we delve into the impediments to livelihood resilience of households that resettled under different models using the obstacle model. The results indicate the following: (1) Overall, the level of livelihood resilience in areas resettled due to coal mining of Huaibei City is low. Significant disparities exist among the households resettled under different models in terms of buffering capacity, self-organizing ability, and learning ability. (2) Factors such as the quantity of labor, policy awareness, and participation in village collective meetings significantly influence households’ livelihood resilience, albeit to varying degrees across different resettlement models. (3) Future interventions should address the challenges faced by the four types of resettled households by increasing employment opportunities, intensifying policy advocacy, and augmenting investments in education resources to elevate the livelihood standards of various households. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers for 'Land Socio-Economic and Political Issues' Section)
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19 pages, 2741 KiB  
Article
The Production of Empty Space and Deserts in the South-Central Andean Highlands
by Mónica Meza Aliaga, Manuel Prieto, Paulina Rodríguez Díaz and Michel Meza Aliaga
Land 2024, 13(1), 12; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13010012 - 20 Dec 2023
Viewed by 793
Abstract
Imaginaries serve as the foundational framework shaping representations and influencing societal perspectives, subsequently guiding specific practices. Within the realm of geographical imaginaries, this article adopted a geohistorical perspective, using periodicals, secondary sources, and contemporary digital media to shed light on the geography of [...] Read more.
Imaginaries serve as the foundational framework shaping representations and influencing societal perspectives, subsequently guiding specific practices. Within the realm of geographical imaginaries, this article adopted a geohistorical perspective, using periodicals, secondary sources, and contemporary digital media to shed light on the geography of the highlands of northern Chile. Our objective was to emphasize the representations that have discouraged the occupation of these mountainous regions. Our findings revealed the emergence of a geographic imaginary that attributes desert-like qualities to the entire northern region of Chile, extending beyond the “unpopulated area of Atacama”. This misleading characterization fails to distinguish desert areas from the topographic variations existing between the Andes and the Pacific coast. These representations, which have translated into depopulation practices, have stigmatized the highland areas as synonymous with desolation and inhospitality, seemingly unsuitable for daily life, social production, and reproduction potential. Consequently, both spaces and individuals have been objectified for development, perpetuating the capitalist system as the dominant mode of production. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers for 'Land Socio-Economic and Political Issues' Section)
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25 pages, 5805 KiB  
Article
Public Policies Shaping Mexican Small Farmer Practices and Environmental Conservation: The Impacts of 28 Years of PROCAMPO (1994–2022) in the Yucatán Peninsula
by Lesly-Paola Ramírez, Birgit Schmook, Mateo Mier y Terán Giménez Cacho, Sophie Calmé and Crisol Mendez-Medina
Land 2023, 12(12), 2124; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12122124 - 30 Nov 2023
Viewed by 1612
Abstract
Conditional cash transfer (CCT) programs, generally viewed as policies to modernize and increase agricultural production and commercialization, also have social and environmental impacts. Among the first Mexican CCT programs, PROCAMPO is directed toward traditional agriculture and pays farmers for permanent cultivation, ignoring traditional [...] Read more.
Conditional cash transfer (CCT) programs, generally viewed as policies to modernize and increase agricultural production and commercialization, also have social and environmental impacts. Among the first Mexican CCT programs, PROCAMPO is directed toward traditional agriculture and pays farmers for permanent cultivation, ignoring traditional fallow systems. It was implemented nationally in 1994 to counteract the effects of trade liberalization. Its objectives encompassed modernizing and improving agricultural competitiveness and environmental conservation. Here, we analyze PROCAMPO from the perspective of environmental conservation to understand its effects on agricultural practices and forest cover, specifically in the Yucatán Peninsula, where agriculture sustainability was previously achieved via an alternating cycle of multi-crop system (milpa) and forest. We performed an in-depth program analysis, reviewing 51 documents, including scientific literature, technical evaluations, and official records. Research consistently showed direct effects of PROCAMPO on agricultural practices resulting in extensive land use change, including a reduction in crop diversity and the elimination of traditional milpas and fallow. PROCAMPO has impacted conservation by causing high rates of deforestation. Our findings show the need to reorient the design and implementation of agricultural policy to increase agroecosystem resilience and ecological service provision to face climate change. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers for 'Land Socio-Economic and Political Issues' Section)
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17 pages, 2231 KiB  
Article
Does Environmental Aid Make a Difference? Analyzing Its Impact in Developing Countries
by Chris McCarthy, Troy Sternberg and Lumbani Benedicto Banda
Land 2023, 12(10), 1953; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12101953 - 22 Oct 2023
Viewed by 1166
Abstract
Amidst escalating global environmental challenges, does environmental aid drive tangible conservation outcomes in developing countries or does it merely perpetuate the rift between economic ambition and environmental responsibility? Using a comprehensive ten-year dataset from the OECD, World Bank, Climate Watch, and the Climate [...] Read more.
Amidst escalating global environmental challenges, does environmental aid drive tangible conservation outcomes in developing countries or does it merely perpetuate the rift between economic ambition and environmental responsibility? Using a comprehensive ten-year dataset from the OECD, World Bank, Climate Watch, and the Climate Change Laws of the World database, we analyze the relationship between environmental aid and environmental conservation outcomes in recipient countries. Our results indicate that although aid can influence policy development, there is a weak correlation with outcomes such as increased forest cover, expansion of protected areas, and reduced CO2 emissions. Moreover, the pronounced roles of GDP and population in shaping these outcomes underline the complex interplay of environmental challenges with economic growth and demographic shifts. This dynamic, coupled with the evident mismatch between environmental aid delivery and tangible conservation improvements, emphasizes the need to reconsider current aid distribution strategies. In light of current environmental challenges, this research offers valuable insights into the effectiveness of environmental aid in developing countries and suggests a way forward for more targeted and impactful conservation efforts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers for 'Land Socio-Economic and Political Issues' Section)
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21 pages, 1368 KiB  
Article
Stakeholder Perceptions of Landscape Justice in the Case of Atlantic Salmon Fishing in Northern Finland
by Mia Landauer, Juha Joona and Pigga Keskitalo
Land 2023, 12(6), 1174; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12061174 - 01 Jun 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1567
Abstract
Atlantic salmon fishing in northern Fennoscandia is part of controversial ecological, sociocultural, legal, and political questions. This paper presents a study of landscape justice as perceived by stakeholders who practice, manage, and govern traditional, household, and recreational salmon fishing on northern Finland’s border [...] Read more.
Atlantic salmon fishing in northern Fennoscandia is part of controversial ecological, sociocultural, legal, and political questions. This paper presents a study of landscape justice as perceived by stakeholders who practice, manage, and govern traditional, household, and recreational salmon fishing on northern Finland’s border rivers, Tornio (Torne) and Teno (Tana). The concept of landscape justice is analysed through the lens of distributive, substantive, procedural, and recognition forms of justice. The data are based on semi-structured stakeholder interviews (N = 15). A qualitative content analysis of the data based on the forms of justice reveals that salmon are associated with diverse environmental, economic, and sociocultural values of the landscape. The study results show the current state governance mode of salmon fishing causes landscape injustice manifesting, in particular, as an unequal distribution of risks and benefits regarding fishing governance and its challenges. There is unclear legislation for Tornio. Landscape justice is violated by regulations causing unclear case law for Teno on the ownership of land or water and related fishing restrictions, as well as a lack of possibilities for local tourist entrepreneurs and household fishermen to participate in decision making. Governmental decisions are mainly based on the overall ecological status of salmon populations at the expense of local variations or the recognition and systemic evaluation of sociocultural and local economic values of the landscape. The results indicate a need for national and cross-border policy decisions to include sociocultural and economic aspects of Atlantic salmon fishing to guide movement towards more just environmental governance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers for 'Land Socio-Economic and Political Issues' Section)
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22 pages, 3746 KiB  
Article
Mediating Effect and Suppressing Effect: Intermediate Mechanism of Urban Land Use Efficiency and Economic Development
by Xueli Zhong and Yongfeng Li
Land 2023, 12(6), 1148; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12061148 - 30 May 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 904
Abstract
The limited nature of land supply determines that improving land use efficiency is an inherent requirement for economic development. The aim of this study was to quantitatively examine its impact. Most current studies have explored the quantitative relationship between urban land use efficiency [...] Read more.
The limited nature of land supply determines that improving land use efficiency is an inherent requirement for economic development. The aim of this study was to quantitatively examine its impact. Most current studies have explored the quantitative relationship between urban land use efficiency (ULUE) and economic development, but less attention has been given to the mechanism of action of both. In this study, we construct an analysis framework for the mechanism of ULUE in promoting economic development from three aspects: economic scale, economic structure, and economic quality, and we quantitatively investigate its impact on economic development and intermediate action mechanism through a mediating effect model on the basis of measuring ULUE by using a super-efficiency SBM-undesirable model. Based on the analysis of the panel data of 56 cities in the Yellow River Basin (YRB), the results show that, first, ULUE has formed an ideal positive driving effect on economic development, and its influence mechanism has obvious heterogeneity in cities with different geographical locations and resource endowments. Second, ULUE affects economic development through three channels: economic scale-up effect, economic structure optimization effect, and economic quality enhancement effect, and there are two different mechanisms of mediating effect and suppressing effect. Finally, variables such as investment intensity of urban construction land and social benefit act as suppressing effects, while variables such as economic output density of urban land, industrial structure, employment structure, economic benefit, and environmental benefit play partial mediating effects. These evidence-based findings can provide practical guidance for solving the dilemma of a lack of economic development momentum and inefficient land use in a country or region. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers for 'Land Socio-Economic and Political Issues' Section)
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16 pages, 985 KiB  
Article
How Do Heterogeneous Land Development Opportunities Affect Rural Household Nonfarm Employment: A Perspective of Spatial Regulation
by Xia Tian, Yinying Cai, Qing Yang and Jin Xie
Land 2023, 12(4), 907; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12040907 - 18 Apr 2023
Viewed by 933
Abstract
Heterogeneous land development opportunities induced by spatial regulation produce different advantages in areas, which undoubtedly differentiates farmers’ employment. The aim of this study was to quantitatively examine its impact. We selected Moshui Lake City Park (urban development planning area), Sino-French Eco-City (industrial development [...] Read more.
Heterogeneous land development opportunities induced by spatial regulation produce different advantages in areas, which undoubtedly differentiates farmers’ employment. The aim of this study was to quantitatively examine its impact. We selected Moshui Lake City Park (urban development planning area), Sino-French Eco-City (industrial development planning area), and Chenhu International Wetland (ecological protection planning area) as its principal research areas. These regions are all located in Wuhan city, Hubei province, China. After obtaining 907 valid responses from rural households, the Tobit model was adopted to identify the impact of land development opportunities on farmers’ nonfarm employment. The results show that, first, industrial development opportunity (IDO) and urban development opportunity (UDO) provide more job security than the reference group, which is ecological development opportunity (EDO), with the estimated coefficients of IDO and UDO being 0.325 and 0.944, respectively. However, a negative correlation was found between UDO and farmers’ employment selection and income. Second, heterogeneity analysis reveals that the promotion effect of land development opportunities on farmers’ employment is more significant for low- and middle-income, low-quantity, and high-quality households. Finally, further analysis shows that IDO can promote employment for all age groups, but UDO inhibits the elderly labor force from getting employed. These findings provide evidence-based insights which can enable the government to formulate land value-added distribution systems that promote balanced development between regions and stakeholders. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers for 'Land Socio-Economic and Political Issues' Section)
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22 pages, 1685 KiB  
Article
Conflict Resolution between Multi-Level Government and Farmers in Land Expropriation Based on Institutional Credibility Theory: Empirical Evidence from Shandong Province, China
by Shengyue Fan, Xijing Luo and Peitao Han
Land 2023, 12(4), 844; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12040844 - 07 Apr 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1537
Abstract
Land expropriation has always been a hot spot of social conflicts. The land expropriation policy of Merging Villages and Living Together (MVLT) in rural areas has intensified conflicts due to insufficient financial compensation and “demolishing old houses before building new ones”. The current [...] Read more.
Land expropriation has always been a hot spot of social conflicts. The land expropriation policy of Merging Villages and Living Together (MVLT) in rural areas has intensified conflicts due to insufficient financial compensation and “demolishing old houses before building new ones”. The current research most simply assesses the degree of conflict and the influencing factors but rarely includes farmers, governments at all levels, the strength of policy tools, and policy perceptions in a unified quantitative research framework, which is not conducive to conflict resolution and policy improvement. This paper adopts the institutional credibility theory, incorporates the policy instruments of higher-level governments, administrative instruments of lower-level governments, and farmers’ credibility of policies into a unified accounting framework, constructs a conflict stress index, evaluates the role of each subject’s characteristics, policy perceptions, and policy instruments in the process of conflict generation and resolution, and analyzes the methods of conflict resolution from the perspective of different stakeholder conflicts. The theoretical analysis framework and the quantitative analysis of the indicators are verified by using a case study of MVLT policy in Shandong Province, China. The results show that the credibility of the policy of “village integration” is influenced by individual characteristics and varies significantly. The administrative means and different combinations of lower-level government are significantly related to an increase in farmers’ credibility, which can significantly improve the success rate of policy implementation. The effect of administrative means of higher-level government on the credibility of farmers is limited. The highest value of the conflict index was observed when the administrative instruments reached the maximum value without a marginal increase in farmers’ credibility. Based on the quantitative evaluation of conflict generation and resolution mechanisms, recommendations for policy implementation and improvement were made. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers for 'Land Socio-Economic and Political Issues' Section)
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17 pages, 11000 KiB  
Article
An Evaluation System to Optimize the Management of Interventions in the Historic Center of Florence World Heritage Site: From Building Preservation to Block Refurbishment
by Giovanna Acampa, Fabrizio Battisti and Mariolina Grasso
Land 2023, 12(4), 726; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12040726 - 23 Mar 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1038
Abstract
The goal of this paper is to present a methodology for setting priorities among interventions in the old city center of Florence, going from the conservation to the regeneration of its heritage. The proposed methodology is based on specific methods of analysis of [...] Read more.
The goal of this paper is to present a methodology for setting priorities among interventions in the old city center of Florence, going from the conservation to the regeneration of its heritage. The proposed methodology is based on specific methods of analysis of degradation and parameters for the optimization of construction costs. The methodology can be considered an additional part of the Management Plan of the site of the Historic Center of Florence (adopted for the first time in 2016 and now updated with the inclusion of a buffer zone) that “represents an important tool for the conservation and enhancement of the Heritage and is also a source of address for the choices that the Administration is called to adopt regarding the use of the city and its spaces”. The application of the method, in addition to being in harmony with some of the action projects of the second macro-area of the new Management Plan, also has points of contact with the provisions of the Municipal Operational Plan that provides for a reinterpretation of the existing building heritage. From the monitoring of individual buildings, aimed at their preservation, we will move to study the relationships that promote the creation of joint construction sites, thus optimizing costs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers for 'Land Socio-Economic and Political Issues' Section)
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26 pages, 4853 KiB  
Article
Land Use Change Net Removals Associated with Sugarcane in Brazil
by Marjorie M. Guarenghi, Danilo F. T. Garofalo, Joaquim E. A. Seabra, Marcelo M. R. Moreira, Renan M. L. Novaes, Nilza Patrícia Ramos, Sandra F. Nogueira and Cristiano A. de Andrade
Land 2023, 12(3), 584; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12030584 - 28 Feb 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 4260
Abstract
This work brings a refined estimation of the land use change and derived CO2 emissions associated with sugarcane cultivation, including changes in management practices and refined land-use carbon stocks, over the last two decades for Brazil’s center–south and north regions. The analysis [...] Read more.
This work brings a refined estimation of the land use change and derived CO2 emissions associated with sugarcane cultivation, including changes in management practices and refined land-use carbon stocks, over the last two decades for Brazil’s center–south and north regions. The analysis was carried out at the rural property level, considering spatially explicit land conversion data. With the refinements, we found a net carbon removal of 9.8 TgCO2∙yr−1 in sugarcane cultivation areas in the 2000–2020 period, which was due to the expansion of sugarcane over poor quality pastures (55% of the gross removals), croplands (15%) and mosaic (14%) areas, and the transition from the conventional burned harvesting to unburned (16%). Moreover, 98.4% of expansion was over existent agricultural areas. Considering all the land use changes within sugarcane-producing rural properties, the net removal is even larger, of 17 TgCO2∙yr−1, which is due to vegetation recovery. This suggests that public policies and private control mechanisms might have been effective not only to control deforestation but also to induce carbon removals associated with sugarcane cultivation. These results indicate sugarcane production system and derived products as contributors to net carbon removals in the land sector in Brazil and should be considered for both bioenergy and agricultural sustainability evaluation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers for 'Land Socio-Economic and Political Issues' Section)
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17 pages, 7011 KiB  
Article
Unclear Land Rights and Deforestation: Pieces of Evidence from Brazilian Reality
by Bastiaan Reydon, Gabriel Pansani Siqueira, Delaide Silva Passos and Stephan Honer
Land 2023, 12(1), 89; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12010089 - 27 Dec 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1990
Abstract
The change from forests to pasture or agricultural land is still the largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in Brazil today. Although Brazil was previously able to reduce its level of deforestation from 27,000 km2 (2004) to 5000 km2 (2012), since [...] Read more.
The change from forests to pasture or agricultural land is still the largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in Brazil today. Although Brazil was previously able to reduce its level of deforestation from 27,000 km2 (2004) to 5000 km2 (2012), since 2014 deforestation has increased once more, reaching more than 10,000 km2 in 2021, and is expected to reach record peaks in 2022. There is enough evidence that deforestation occurs mostly on undesignated and unregistered land, as it is used as a speculative asset and/or in a productive way, but the appetite for more land grabbing is still worrisome. The literature shows that the availability of this kind of land in Brazil is between 50 and 100 million hectares, so the risk of perpetuating this pattern and destroying the remaining forests is rather large. This article’s main aim is to show how the Amazon’s deforestation reached its lowest levels mainly due to a combination of strong command-and-control policies and an institutional setting that was able to enforce them. However, most important were the policies designed for the protection of the forest and its communities, which played an important role by clarifying property rights and setting responsibilities for the forest’s preservation, but also creating the legal and institutional conditions to enforce the existing legislation. From this perspective, we analyzed how these different settings affected the decisions of players with respect to deforestation. The first section shows the Amazon’s deforestation patterns and the links to its causes—mainly the existing policies. The next section shows the legal and institutional instruments that enabled the reduction in deforestation at the beginning of the 21st century. The third section shows how the nation clarified the legal rights to land and how it diminished deforestation. The fourth provides evidence as to how those instruments were dismantled, provoking an increase in deforestation. Finally, a synthesis is presented with proposals for recovering the previous results. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers for 'Land Socio-Economic and Political Issues' Section)
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17 pages, 364 KiB  
Article
Formalizing a Two-Step Decision-Making Process in Land Use: Evidence from Controlling Forest Clearcutting Using Spatial Information
by Chady Jabbour, Anis Hoayek and Jean-Michel Salles
Land 2023, 12(1), 15; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12010015 - 21 Dec 2022
Viewed by 1340
Abstract
In this paper, we examine a particular case of land use pattern: forest management activities facing an uncertainty related to spatial information signals received. We investigate the combination of two well-known theoretical approaches, the Blackwell theorem and entropy analysis, in providing a decision [...] Read more.
In this paper, we examine a particular case of land use pattern: forest management activities facing an uncertainty related to spatial information signals received. We investigate the combination of two well-known theoretical approaches, the Blackwell theorem and entropy analysis, in providing a decision support framework for decision makers. We examine the uncertainty related to the information signals received within a decision support context and compute the optimal actions. Drawing on satellite imagery as an additional source of information provided by French spatial data infrastructure (SDI), we illustrate our approach through a clear-cutting control case study. The control of clear-cutting is a central issue in forest management. In order to perform an efficient control operation, uncertainty regarding the decisions to be taken needs to be minimized. Reducing uncertainty in a decision-making context related to forest management provides greater opportunities for improving productivity and for saving time and money. The results show that the information structure through the SDI signals has the most significant information power. Moreover, a maximum of two information structures can be compared when applying the Blackwell theorem. However, while using the entropy approach, a comparison of several information structures can be performed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers for 'Land Socio-Economic and Political Issues' Section)
14 pages, 1137 KiB  
Article
Forest and Land Rights at a Time of Deforestation and Climate Change: Land and Resource Use Crisis in Uganda
by Dastan Bamwesigye, Raymond Chipfakacha and Evans Yeboah
Land 2022, 11(11), 2092; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11112092 - 20 Nov 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2462
Abstract
Globally, nations are targeting to achieve the “Green Deal 2030” and “Biodiversity Strategy 2030” to protect and conserve forest ecosystems. Forest land rights that define the nature of forest use have been rendered useless in many developing countries. Uganda is an African country [...] Read more.
Globally, nations are targeting to achieve the “Green Deal 2030” and “Biodiversity Strategy 2030” to protect and conserve forest ecosystems. Forest land rights that define the nature of forest use have been rendered useless in many developing countries. Uganda is an African country endowed with tropical rainforests. Forests and other protected areas continue to decline due to deforestation and forest degradation in Uganda. Moreover, Uganda is an example of a country with a high allocation of virgin forest land to investors for development projects including agriculture. This paper examined perceptions of Ugandans on property rights and associated factors that impact the implementation of these rights in Uganda. The study conducted a questionnaire survey and obtained a sample size of 199. Key informant interviews (KIIs) on land and forest land rights in Uganda were conducted to get to the bottom of the problem. The results confirm high corruption (82%) and crime in Uganda’s land and forest rights management. Respondents highlighted limited transparency in implementing land and forest property rights. The study concluded that corruption and a lack of transparency frustrate property rights implementation in Uganda. The study recommends the government to prioritize fighting corruption and promoting transparency in the management of land and forest property, among others resources. Properly implementing land rights is vital in protecting and conserving forest ecosystems and other resources. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers for 'Land Socio-Economic and Political Issues' Section)
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