Evolutionary process and driving effect of the decoupling relationship between rural residential areas and rural population

Abstract

[Objective] The purpose of this study was to systematically study the evolution process and driving effects of the decoupling relationship between rural settlements and rural population. The research results were expected to provide guidance for the optimal allocation of rural land resources. [Methods] Based on the theory of decoupling and the theory of human-land relationship, the evolutionary mechanism of the phenomenon of "population reduction and land increase" in rural areas was conducted. Taking Hubei Province as an example, an empirical study was carried out using multiple remote sensing images and social statistical data from 2000 to 2020, combined with the Tapio decoupling model and LMDI decomposition method. [Results] (1) Rural settlements and population showed negative decoupling of growth, strong negative decoupling, negative decoupling of recession, and strong negative decoupling from the early stage of urbanization, rapid urbanization development, deepening urbanization development, and rural revitalization. (2) In the past 20 years, Hubei Province showed an overall trend of “decreasing population and increasing residential land”, with an increase of 1.71×104 hm2 in rural residential land and a decrease of 13.75 million people in rural permanent residents. The relationship between rural population and residential land was not coordinated. Most rural areas in Hubei Province have been in a strong negative decoupling state between rural residential land and population for a long time. The relationship between rural population and rural residential land in 2015-2020 was slightly better than that in 2000-2015. Moreover, the relationship between rural population and rural residential land in eastern Hubei was better than that in western Hubei region. (3) The intensity effect of land use and urbanization effect were the dominant factors for the expansion of rural settlements in Hubei Province, while the urban-rural population structure effect and the regional total population effect were the main hindrance factors. The contribution of each factor varied significantly across regions in Hubei Province. [Conclusion] The key to alleviating the simultaneous population reduction and residential land increase in rural areas lies in optimizing the urban and rural population structure and enhancing the intensive utilization of rural residential land.

Keywords

• rural settlement|rural population|decoupling relationship|evolution process|driving effect|hubei province