Rural China faces mounting environmental and development challenges. In addition to underinvestment in education and health, which has led to challenges of human capital, ecological degradation and unsustainable land use have caused challenges of natural capital. This has prompted the government to call for a “vitalization of the countryside”.
To sustainably vitalize rural China, our research will identify new economic opportunities for rural residents using nature-based solutions. For instance, eco-compensation - public and private payments for the improvement and maintenance of natural capital - can help finance the social welfare of rural communities. Restoring forests, grasslands, and wetlands can mitigate floods, prevent erosion, and improve water quality; and natural pollination can improve the quantity and quality of crop yields. A more verdant and biodiverse countryside can also encourage ecotourism, creating new employment opportunities for rural residents.
Rebuilding rural communities on this greener footing can improve rural livelihoods, and foster rural human capital through improvements in schooling and healthcare. With balanced investments in natural capital and human capital, China can transform its “left-behind” countryside into a frontier of sustainable development.
