Unlocking rural resources for revitalization: Examining the process and impact of compensated use of rural residential land through a social-ecological system framework

This study investigates the process and impact of compensated use of rural residential land (CURRL) policy on rural revitalization through a social-ecological system (SES) framework. Despite extensive rural-to-urban migration in China resulting in widespread rural residential land (RRL) vacancy, RRL footprints continue to expand rather than contract, creating inefficient land use patterns. Using Fangsi Town in Shandong Province as a case study, we analyze how CURRL reshapes rural development by investigating the operational mechanisms and effectiveness of this policy innovation. Through mixed methods including semi-structured interviews, questionnaire surveys, and remote sensing analysis, we identify complex interactions among resource systems, governance structures, and stakeholders within the rural SES. Our findings reveal that CURRL operational processes emerge from cross-scale interactions among variables across different hierarchical levels within the SES framework. These processes facilitate fee payments and voluntary relinquishment of over-occupied or vacant RRL, thereby supporting rural revitalization initiatives. CURRL implementation has effectively incentivized villagers to relinquish idle and over-occupied RRL, resulting in improved land use efficiency, enhanced village collective income, improved living environments, and strengthened rural governance. However, our analysis reveals potential drawbacks, including diminished ecological benefits due to increased fertilizer application on reclaimed agricultural land and uneven development among villages with different resource endowments. This research advances the theoretical understanding of rural land system reform by extending the SES framework to RRL management contexts and provides policy implications for transitional economies pursuing sustainable rural development through land system innovation.