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The Impacts on Illegal Farmland Conversion of Adopting Remote Sensing Technology for Land Inspection in China

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  • Taiyang Zhong

    (School of Geographic and Oceanographic Sciences, Nanjing University, 163 Xianlin Avenue, Nanjing 210023, China)

  • Xianjin Huang

    (School of Geographic and Oceanographic Sciences, Nanjing University, 163 Xianlin Avenue, Nanjing 210023, China)

  • Lifang Ye

    (School of Geographic and Oceanographic Sciences, Nanjing University, 163 Xianlin Avenue, Nanjing 210023, China)

  • Steffanie Scott

    (Department of Geography and Environmental Management, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave. West, Waterloo ON N2L 3G1, Canada)

Abstract

While China’s central government has adopted remote sensing technology in land inspection since 2000, little empirical research has been done on its effect. This study aims to measure the effect of satellite imagery-based land inspection (SIBI) on illegal farmland conversion. The data used in this study were collected for the period from 1997 to 2010 at the province-level. The econometrics approach for panel data model was used in this research. The results showed that SIBI has a deterrent effect of approximately 2.42 ha for every increase of 1% in proportion to the area of prefecture-level regions inspected in a province-level region. The results also indicate land inspections with RS (Remote Sensing) technology saved approximately 11,880 ha farmland from illegal conversion during 2000–2010 with an estimated contribution of reducing illegal farmland conversion by nearly 11%. Furthermore, the governance structure change for land inspection has also contributed to deterring illegal farmland conversion. The deterrent effects due to land inspection by the Supervisor of State Land (SSL) are about 7332 ha during 2008–2010 with an estimated contribution of reducing illegal farmland conversion by nearly 33%. In conclusion, although SIBI has strengthened China’s central capacity to uncover illegal farmland conversion and weakened local governments’ abilities to hide illegal farmland conversion, it has limited impact on illegal farmland conversion since it is just a technical tool. Improvements in the land inspection governance structure have also helped to deter illegal farmland conversion.

Suggested Citation

  • Taiyang Zhong & Xianjin Huang & Lifang Ye & Steffanie Scott, 2014. "The Impacts on Illegal Farmland Conversion of Adopting Remote Sensing Technology for Land Inspection in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 6(7), pages 1-26, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:6:y:2014:i:7:p:4426-4451:d:38266
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    Cited by:

    1. Zhou, Yan & Huang, Xianjin & Zhong, Taiyang & Chen, Yi & Yang, Hong & Chen, Zhigang & Xu, Guoliang & Niu, Lede & Li, Hehui, 2020. "Can annual land use plan control and regulate construction land growth in China?," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    2. Salman, Faris & Mori, Akihisa, 2023. "When, where, and how can land governance overcome path dependency? A trajectory of land governance change," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
    3. Tang, Peng & Feng, Yue & Li, Min & Zhang, Yanyan, 2021. "Can the performance evaluation change from central government suppress illegal land use in local governments? A new interpretation of Chinese decentralisation," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
    4. Zhou, Yang & Li, Xunhuan & Liu, Yansui, 2021. "Cultivated land protection and rational use in China," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 106(C).
    5. Yirui Han & Qinqin Pan & Yuee Cao & Jianhong Zhang & Jiaxuan Yuan & Borui Li & Saiqiang Li & Renfeng Ma & Xu Luo & Longbin Sha & Xiaodong Yang, 2022. "Estimation of Grain Crop Yields after Returning the Illegal Nurseries and Orchards to Cultivated Land in the Yangtze River Delta Region," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(11), pages 1-19, November.
    6. Sha Chen & Guan Li & Zhongguo Xu & Yuefei Zhuo & Cifang Wu & Yanmei Ye, 2019. "Combined Impact of Socioeconomic Forces and Policy Implications: Spatial-Temporal Dynamics of the Ecosystem Services Value in Yangtze River Delta, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(9), pages 1-22, May.
    7. Wang, Jian & Wu, Qun & Yan, Siqi & Guo, Guancheng & Peng, Shangui, 2020. "China’s local governments breaking the land use planning quota: A strategic interaction perspective," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    8. Liu, Yong & Zhao, Wei & Liao, Rong & Wang, Cheng, 2021. "Process analysis of inter-governmental negotiation in delineating permanent prime farmland around cities: The case of Chongqing, China," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 111(C).
    9. Hongwei Zhang & Zhanqi Wang & Bin Yang & Ji Chai & Chao Wei, 2021. "Spatial–Temporal Characteristics of Illegal Land Use and Its Driving Factors in China from 2004 to 2017," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(3), pages 1-18, February.
    10. Yue Du, 2021. "Remote Sensing, Land Quotas and Mass Relocation: China's Governance of Farmland," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 52(1), pages 113-133, January.

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