A driver based framework for vulnerability assessment of the poverty stricken areas of Funiu Mountain, China

Abstract

Social-ecological systems (SESs) are complex human-environment coupling systems (HECS) that operate at various spatiotemporal scales. In this study, we proposed the use of a ‘drivers–exposure–sensitivity–adaptability’ framework to explore spatiotemporal vulnerability and the factors influencing SESs in the poverty-stricken Funiu Mountain region in China. Indicators of different dimensions of vulnerability (drivers, exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity) were identified based on the proposed framework and previous studies. Data were obtained from the Resource and Environment Science Data Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (RESDC), meteorological monitoring stations, and statistical yearbooks. A vulnerability index was developed based on principal component analysis (PCA) by aggregating the information contained in the indicators. The results showed that the average vulnerability index values for SESs in the overall Funiu Mountain region were 0.536, 0.459, and 0.631 in 2007, 2012, and 2017, respectively, and indicated a zonal distribution from shallow mountainous areas to middle and deep mountainous areas. The findings indicate that biophysical factors shape the general spatial vulnerability pattern of SESs, while socioeconomic factors are the main drivers of changes in the SESs, and the intermediary role of regional centers against a background of economic globalization and regional economic integration can, to a certain extent, help to explain the changes in SESs in poverty-stricken areas.