Land Resources Carrying Capacity Evaluation In Dehong Dai-jingpo Autonomous Prefecture

As the most important strategic resource of a nation,the rational utilization of land resources,to a great extent,depends on the way and the pattern or patterns in which they are used,which,on the other hand,is solely determined by the supply-and-demand,or,in other words,by the carrying capacity of land resources.One issue associated with the rapid industrialization and urbanization is the extensive and terribly-inefficient utilization of land,which is further worsened by ongoing population explosion,urban sprawl,sharp decline in arable land,colossal waste of resources,environmental pollution,and growing tension between ever-increasing human needs and land availability.The whole nation is currently challenged by this tough issue of "the carrying capacity limit of land resources and environment is about to be exceeded".It becomes imperative now to conduct a thorough census on the carrying capacity of land resources and environment as they are presently and make an objective evaluation thereof accordingly to enable us to identify and make up for "the shortest parts",or,"the weakness",therein,and apply all the findings therefrom while doing National Land Planning,which will be the very base and the source of power for the sustainable development of land resources in the region.As China's Western Development Strategy is being implemented nationwide at a much deeper level and the construction of the Great Southwest Corridor is accelerated,the whole Southwest is seeing a rapid growth and development in economy.Dehong Dai-Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture,like other cities in the region,is facing,and has to deal with,a great number of tough challenges regarding its economic development,unbalanced regional development,increasingly-stronger impulses towards development,population growth,extensive development activities,rapid consumption of resources,worsening environmental pollution,damaged biological environment,increasingly-higher risk of environmental deterioration in the coming future,etc.In the light of the lack,for the time being,of an exhaustive study and evaluation as to the carrying capacity of resources and environment,and considering the intended utilization and objectives of the study herein,we begin with the evaluation of the carrying capacity of land available throughout the Prefecture,the most representativeindicator,with the main focus on its carrying capacity relative to population,social aspects and economic development.Given the main elements contained in land resources,we established for the study herein a system of indicators for assessing land carrying capacity,and with which the carrying capacity of all land resources available in Dehong Dai-Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture is analyzed by county.The study herein provides a base for the preparation of the Regional Master Plan for Utilization of Land and any adjustment and or improvement made thereto.The study reveals that:1.The carrying capacity of land resources currently available in Dehong Dai-Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture is at a high level,overall,and the counties in the Prefecture can be arranged by land carrying capacity in the following order:Yingjiang County > Mangshi City > Longchuan County > Lianghe County > Ruili City,where: Yingjiang County,Mangshi City,and Longchuan County have a high land carrying capacity,Lianghe County medium,and Ruili City low.Overall,the mountainous West(with wide valleys and basins)is slightly higher than its east and east-west counterparts in terms of land carrying capacity.2.When observed by the type of land,land carrying capacity varies considerably from place to place throughout Dehong Dai-Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture,and the Prefecture ' s counties and cities are then in the following order by the carrying capacity of all arable land in their respective territory: Longchuan County > Yingjiang County > Mangshi City > Lianghe County > Ruili City,where: Yingjiang County,Longchuan County,and Mangshi City,all located in the middle-to-low altitude mountainous areas,to the northwest and southeast of the Prefecture,have a higher capacity,which is consistent with the Prefecture's overall pattern of land carrying capacity,or put it other way,the key areas to be protected in the future are Lianghe County and Ruili City.The Prefecture's counties and cities are then in the following order by the carrying capacity of all rural land in their respective territory for development purpose: Mangshi City > Ruili City > Lianghe County > Yingjiang County > Longchuan County;and then in the following order by the carrying capacity of all urban land in their respective territory for development purpose: Longchuan County > Mangshi City > Yingjiang County > Ruili City > Lianghe County.It's clear that Mangshi City and Longchuan County will see the most urban development in thefuture.and then in the following order by the carrying capacity of all land in their respective territory for ecological purpose: Yingjiang County > Mangshi City >Longchuan County > Lianghe County > Ruili City.Overall,all counties,including cities,other than Mangshi City and Yingjiang County,show a lower carrying capacity in their land put aside for ecological purpose than for any other purposes,Ruili City in particular.The underlying cause for this is the fragile ecological environment,that is why effective ecological measures must be taken.3.On the basis of single-factor analysis,a comprehensive analysis is further made and reveals that: in the light of rapid urbanization,sharp increase in population,increasing demand for food,etc.,it becomes very imperative for Dehong Dai-Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture to take effective measures to get its arable land and ecology well protected while doing urban development,an inevitable outcome of urbanization.In the meanwhile,the outcomes of the said comprehensive evaluation provide guidelines for any adjustment and/or improvement to be made to the Master Plan for Prefecture-wide Utilization of Land,as follows: ?.as suggested by the arable land carrying capacity evaluation,the 1.735×105 hectares of arable land,which shall be taken as a redline,must be under effective protection while satisfying the Prefecture's total demand for food as well as any planning thereof;?.The total hectares for urban development purpose must be reasonable and determined solely by the results of the urban space carrying capacity and potential analysis;?.The total hectares for ecological purpose must be determined by the results of the analysis of the carrying capacity of all land for ecological purpose in order to have a reasonable function-based ecological and environmental zoning,and provide necessary guidelines for the preparation of Ecological Zoning Plan and any adjustment thereto and regulatory strategies therefor.