Assessing Suitability of Human Settlements in High-Altitude Area Using a Comprehensive Index Method: A Case Study of Tibet, China

Yanpeng Ding,Lingwen Dai,Qianqian Li,Guijin Su,Yongjian Jiang,Bin Shi,Shuai Song,Jing Meng,Yi Qin

doi:10.3390/su13031485

Abstract

With the steady advancement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), how to build a sustainable environment for human settlements has become a hot topic of research for scholars from various countries. Rational space utilization and resource allocation are the keys to enhancing human well-being and achieving sustainable human settlements. A comprehensive human settlement environment evaluation system, which includes 14 indicators from the natural environment, infrastructure, and public services, was established in this study. The results showed that the habitat suitability area only accounted for 1.61% (2.05% after removing the nature reserve) and all centered on cities and radiated to the surrounding areas. A belt-like suitability distribution pattern of “Yi Jiang Liang He” (i.e., Brahmaputra, Lhasa, and Nianchu Rivers) is formed, and a point-like suitability distribution pattern of the Chamdo Karub District, Nagqu Seni District, and Ngari Shiquanhe Town are formed. The results of the driving factor analysis indicate that the level of public health development in infrastructure and various indicators in public services are the main factors influencing human settlement. There is not much difference in the natural environment in the populated regions, so the suitability of the natural environment is not a significant driving factor. In addition, the reliability of the assessment results was verified by a questionnaire survey of residents in the three regions, and the subjective satisfaction of the residents agreed with the ranking results of the objective evaluation. The evaluation results of this study provide theoretical and directional guidance for the improvement of human settlements on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. It will be a useful tool for evaluating human settlements in the region and has a reference significance for the formulation of macro-policy in high-altitude regions.

Highlights

This study introduced a comprehensive assessment framework combining natural environment suitability, infrastructure development, and public services level to assess the human settlements in the plateau area
The environmental distribution pattern of human settlements was revealed from three aspects used the GIS-based multi-criteria analysis method
The results reveal the following: (1) According to the correlation analysis between the indicators of the three criteria layers and the distribution of population density, the level of human settlements in Tibet is primarily influenced by the level of public services and the development of infrastructure, with the evaluation weights of 0.49 and 0.45, respectively

Summary

Introduction

The human settlement environment is the basis for human survival and development, which is related to the health of the individual and the harmonious development of many aspects of society [1]. With the development of human society, the human settlement system has evolved from scattered settlements, villages, and towns to cities and urban agglomerations [2]. The science of human settlements has been established since the. 1960s with the gradual complication of human settlements. The concept of the science of human settlements was first proposed by the Greek scholar Doxiadis [3].

Methods

Results

Conclusion