The Socio-Economic Transformation of Rocky Karst Areas: Case Study of Qianxinan Prefecture, Guizhou Province, China

Authors

Tai-Chee Wong Dr., Nanyang Technological University, SingaporeFollow

Abstract

The physical and economic conditions of the karst mountain areas of the Qianxinan Prefecture of Guizhou province of China are the reflection of a negative triangular relationship involving the poor peasantry, unabated population growth, and impoverished fragile lands. For survival, the peasants had opened up large areas of mountain slopes that led to the sharp decline in forest cover and consequent exposure of bare surfaces to soil erosion. Through field investigations, this study demonstrates that government investments of funds and manpower in Qianxinan Prefecture have achieved positive results in checking population growth, enhancing the quality of life and creating economic opportunities in the use of local natural resources. This process includes measures undertaken in livestock raising, cultivation of prickly-ash1 and the resettlement of poor peasants. However, the carrying capacity of the karstified mountain areas is severely limited. Thus, how poor peasants deal with their future in the typical ecologically fragile region of Qianxinan Prefecture is the focus of this study. It is found that the promotion of urbanization is the key approach to the economic transformation and agricultural modernization of the area under study.

Recommended Citation

Wong, Tai-Chee Dr. (2016) "The Socio-Economic Transformation of Rocky Karst Areas: Case Study of Qianxinan Prefecture, Guizhou Province, China," Malaysian Journal of Chinese Studies: Vol. 5: No. 1, Article 4.
Available at: https://mjcs.newera.edu.my/journal/vol5/iss1/4