Revealing the Coupling Coordination of Social–Ecological System Resilience: Insights From the Southwest Karst Rural Area, China

Abstract

Natural social systems provide opportunities for human survival, living, and development, but such development may be of less benefit to farmers in low-income and remote rural settlements because they lack money and complete infrastructure. Introducing the concept of resilience can help explore the development potential of rural areas and add vitality to the realization of high-quality rural development. Currently, theoretical analyses and systematic evaluations of rural resilience in China's karst mountain area are still insufficient. In this study, based on ecosystem services (ESs) and ecological thresholds, we calculated ecological resilience (ER). For the social systems dimension, we measured social resilience (SR) using a resilience assessment methodology developed by the FAO. Afterward, this study constructed a framework, integrating SR and ER, to assess interactions between rural socioeconomic systems and ecosystems. The study shows that SR is better in rural settlements closer to cities, while remote rural settlements have better ER. Rural settlements close to cities tend to have higher incomes and better educational opportunities than remote rural settlements. In contrast, remote rural settlements perform well in terms of forest area and natural ecology. Based on these findings, we propose specific policy measures to meet these challenges. The operational framework of this study can provide new insights and meaningful theoretical references for the study of rural resilience.