Concentrated Rural Settlement Research Articles

Recovery evaluation of villages reconstructed with concentrated rural settlement after the Wenchuan earthquake

As a rural development approach, concentrated rural settlement (CRS) was used for rural reconstruction when Wenchuan earthquake opened the opportunity window of quick and wide implementation. Although CRS has both proponents and critics, few studies have investigated the recovery success of villages reconstructed with CRS. This research gap has resulted in insufficient theoretical guidance for the practice of CRS and inefficient summarization and transfer of relevant experiences. This study therefore aims to measure the recovery success of three villages reconstructed with CRS located in the hardest-hit areas of the Wenchuan earthquake. Full-permutation polygon synthetic indicator method is adopted to evaluate the recovery success of the three case villages from the economic, social, environmental and disaster relief aspects. It is found that the three case villages have good overall recovery performances as economic, social, and environmental aspects improved a lot from 2008 to 2015, whereas the disaster relief recovery performance increased at the first several years but dramatically decreased at the later years. The implications inferred from the case studies are discussed in detail. This study provides a reference to local governments for monitoring CRS development and for improving recovery of villages reconstructed with CRS.

Driving mechanism of concentrated rural resettlement in upland areas of Sichuan Basin: A perspective of marketing hierarchy transformation

Traditional rural landscape in Sichuan Basin was distinctive in China, characterized by highly dispersed rural settlements but a well-organized marketing system corresponding to the classic central-place hierarchy. In response to China’s rapid socio-economic transformation during recent years, concentrated rural resettlement (CRR) has been widely adopted in Sichuan Basin to remold traditional dispersed rural settlements into the concentrated rural settlement (CRS). This study attempts to explore the driving forces of CRR practices through an engagement with the synchronous evolution of rural market-towns in the upland areas of Sichuan Basin. By an empirical study in the basin, we depicted the differentiated evolutions of the original market-towns driven by the accelerated industrialization and urbanization in recent years. Statistical analysis on 87 CRSs indicated that governmental subsidies, transport services, accessibility to intermediate market-towns and industrial development were critical in determining the CRR outcomes, while the role embedded in the standard market-towns was secondary. The evolution of the market-towns was common to that experienced in western developed countries, while CRR outcomes were underpinned but also limited by China’s distinct institution. We argue that CRR planning in upland areas of Sichuan Basin should realign with the evolving market-town system to foster a spatial hierarchy compatible with the urban-rural integrated development.

Prevalence and Influencing Factors of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Among Survivors in the Hard-Hit Areas Ten Years After the Wenchuan Earthquake: A Cross-Sectional Study.

BackgroundPost-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is common psychological distress after natural disasters, which is persistent. Chronic PTSD leads to a heavy disease burden. The purpose of this study is to explore the prevalence and influencing factors of chronic PTSD among survivors in the hard-hit areas ten years after the Wenchuan earthquake.Materials and MethodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted on residents aged 16 or above in hard-hit areas through a multi-stage sampling approach ten years after the Wenchuan earthquake. The items of the questionnaire included demographic characteristics and earthquake exposure factors, and the PTSD Checklist-Civilian Version (PCL-C) was used to evaluate the PTSD of the respondents.ResultsA total of 1039 complete questionnaires were obtained. The median age of 1039 respondents was 60 years, 63.2% of whom were female, 70.2% were illiterate or had received primary education, and 58% had an annual household income of less than 20,000 yuan (US$ 2871.3). The rate of PTSD was 9.1% (95/1039). After controlling for confounding factors, it was found that higher income level and education level, and moving to concentrated rural settlement (CRS) after the earthquake might be protective factors for the long-term mental health of survivors in the hard-hit areas, and the loss of immediate families in the earthquake was an important risk factor.ConclusionEven though ten years have passed since the Wenchuan earthquake, the survivors in the hard-hit areas still have a serious mental disorder. The local government and health-care institutions should take appropriate measures to improve the mental health of residents.

Comparing three approaches to developing concentrated rural settlement after the Lushan Earthquake

Housing reconstruction is critical following natural disasters, especially in rural areas of developing countries. Concentrated rural settlement (CRS) is an important method adopted by local governments in China to promote post-disaster rural housing recovery. However, the effectiveness and selection of CRS approaches under different situations often puzzles local governments, even though various approaches to CRS development have been available since the Wenchuan Earthquake on May 12, 2008. This study therefore compares three approaches to developing CRS (unified planning/unified reconstruction, unified planning/joint reconstruction, and unified planning/self-reconstruction), based on three case studies in Lushan County of Ya’an City in Sichuan Province of China. The factors considered include the triggering event, participants, process, and outcome. Research information and data were collected using interviews, a questionnaire survey, and content analysis. The comparison reveals a transformation from a government-led pattern to a resident-led pattern in the rural housing reconstruction after the Lushan Earthquake. When comparing the effectiveness of these three approaches, each approach must be considered according to its prerequisites to ensure the sustainability of reconstruction. Based on the comparative analysis, the study also offers a map for future initiatives, providing valuable insights for local governments to develop sustainable CRS in post-disaster reconstruction.

Risks of Developing Concentrated Rural Settlement after the Wenchuan Earthquake in China

Concentrated rural settlement (CRS) reconstruction was promoted as a sustainable rural reconstruction way after the Wenchuan earthquake in China. Despite the various benefits of CRS, haphazard CRS reconstruction presents risks to future sustainable development. However, such risks have been rarely investigated. Thus, this study examines the risk factors with eight CRS reconstruction cases after the Wenchuan earthquake. The existence and interactions of economic, social, environmental, and disaster relief risks are observed after reconstruction. A conceptual model is proposed for systematically interpreting the risks. Results obtained can help the local government judiciously consider the risk factors in order to achieve sustainable development when initiating rapid reconstruction.

Analysis of farmers’ satisfaction towards concentrated rural settlement development after the Wenchuan earthquake

The development of a concentrated rural settlement (CRS) is an effective method to achieve sustainable development and resilience. Several successful CRS cases have been reported after the Wenchuan earthquake. Existing studies mainly investigated the process of CRS reconstruction right after the Wenchuan earthquake on 12 May 2018. However, only a few studies have investigated the feelings of farmers towards CRS at the micro level in a medium term after the reconstruction. Thus, whether CRS benefits farmers and what improvements can be made with the settlement remain unknown, which further present barriers for enhancing sustainability. This research develops a comprehensive assessment model using the entropy weight method to measure the farmers’ satisfaction toward CRS after the Wenchuan earthquake. The degree of satisfaction of farmers from four villages was assessed with this model. Thorough discussions were conducted to analyze the factors with most and lest satisfaction, and further explore the reasons of farmers’ satisfaction. Findings of this study can support local governments to improve CRS for sustainable development in long term.

Farmers' risk perception of concentrated rural settlement development after the 5.12 Sichuan Earthquake

Rural housing reconstruction is critical in realizing sustainable recovery. Concentrated rural settlement (CRS) was widely promoted under the context of new countryside construction after the 5.12 Sichuan Earthquake in 2008. Farmers' risk perception of CRS and their corresponding actions affect realizing sustainable recovery. However, few studies have attempted to comprehend farmers' risk perception of such practices, and the impact factors of risk perception remain unknown. Therefore, this study investigates farmers' risk perception of CRS development using four cases in the hardest earthquake-hit area. ANOVA is employed to explore the factors that influence risk perception of CRS development, and in-depth discussions are conducted to explore the reasons behind such perceptions. Potential measures are proposed to reduce relevant risk factors. This study's findings can help local governments in understanding the concerns of farmers toward CRS and in identifying suitable approaches to mitigate risks in order to realize the sustainability of CRS development. This study also provides references for local government to address the specialized concerns when developing CRS within both disaster and non-disaster context.

The feasibility of concentrated rural settlement in a context of post‐disaster reconstruction: a study of China

There is growing appreciation of the use of concentrated rural settlement as an effective means of implementing infrastructure projects and helping to achieve sustainable development in rural areas. This occurs in China through the exchange of rural residential land for urban construction. However, this policy has not been effective under normal circumstances (called development-driven conditions) as frequently farmers are reluctant to accept such an exchange. By contrast, in a time of disaster, such as after the 2008 earthquake in Sichuan Province, China, rural victims have accepted this policy of rural residential land exchange. Employing game theory, this paper identifies the reasons for the different outcomes and it contends that the implementation of concentrated rural settlement practice under disaster-induced conditions is more effective than its introduction under development-driven conditions. The results of the analysis indicate that, in China, concentrated rural settlement is feasible in a context of post-disaster reconstruction.

A generic decision model for developing concentrated rural settlement in post-disaster reconstruction: a China study

The increasing impacts of natural disasters on disadvantaged rural areas, especially in developing countries, have led to concerns regarding post-disaster rural settlement reconstruction. Various approaches, including resettlement and in-situ reconstruction, have been adopted, both of which disregard changing the pattern of dispersed settlement in villages. Against a pattern of dispersed settlement, developing a concentrated rural settlement (CRS) within a village is argued to enable the resilience of rural villages and provide a basis for sustainable development after a disaster. Nevertheless, this has received little attention when determining a plan of actions for post-disaster reconstruction. No specific guidelines can be referenced when developing CRS in post-disaster reconstruction due to the lack of a generic decision model. Therefore, this study examines the process of developing CRS in post-disaster reconstruction by mapping four cases selected in Dujiangyan, China, after the 5.12 Sichuan Earthquake in 2008. The examination leads to establishing a generic decision model for developing CRS in post-disaster reconstruction, which incorporates all the proficiencies embodied in the existing practices. This model provides an alternative tool for planning CRS in post-disaster reconstruction. It can also serve as a vehicle for identifying both effective practices and weak areas by comparing varying cases.

Critical determinant factors (CDFs) for developing concentrated rural settlement in post-disaster reconstruction: a China study

Housing reconstruction is always the top priority issue in post-disaster reconstruction of rural areas in developing countries. However, the traditional reconstruction approaches, including reconstruction in situ, and resettlement are not sustainable enough for post-disaster reconstruction. Against the dispersion pattern of settlement, this study argues that developing concentrated rural settlement is able to increase the resilience of rural villages and to provide a basis for sustainable development post-disaster. Little study has reported developing concentrated rural settlement in post-disaster reconstruction until the reconstruction post 5.12 Sichuan Earthquake. Yet, there is still an unclear understanding of the factors taken into account when developing concentrated rural settlement in post-disaster reconstruction. This study aims to explore the critical determinant factors to be considered for developing concentrated rural settlement in post-disaster reconstruction with particular reference to the reconstruction post of 5.12 Sichuan Earthquake in China. Through content analysis, a preliminary list of determinant factors was firstly identified. Interviews with the local government officers, planners, and rural victims were conducted to collect opinions on the critical factors. It was found that governmental guidance, victims’ willingness, and economic development condition are three critical dimensions. The findings from this research can help understand the preconditions for developing concentrated rural settlement in post-disaster reconstruction and promote this approach in future.