RIVERS WHISPER, LANDS RENEW

Abstract

The phenomenon of rural decline in China has long existed, and discussions on rural revitalization are increasingly intense. Facing the vast diversity of Chinese rural areas, this study focuses on villages closely linked to rivers, selecting the upstream region of the Jiulong River in southern Fujian as the case study area. It explores how a river-centric design can contribute to the sustainable rural revitalization of the Jiulong River Upstream region, fostering ecological integrity and socio-economic resilience.
The research delves into the issues facing rural China and summarizes them, using layer approach as the primary method to analyze the entire watershed, upstream region, and specific villages. It identifies ecological challenges such as segmentation of the river system, water pollution, flood risk, soil erosion, and monoculture, as well as social challenges including alienation to the river, underutilized economic opportunities, and low awareness of the ecological and economic importance of the river. In response to these challenges, corresponding strategies and principles were developed, and specific measures were integrated to form a comprehensive strategic framework. Additionally, the framework links ecological and social measures or strategies to explore the integration of socio-ecological systems. Each principle within the strategy framework corresponds to multiple measure options, providing implementers with flexibility and operability, and strengthens bottom-up governance through an analysis of stakeholders. The strategies are spatialized and expressed through designs or plans at three different scales.