On Demand, Development and Dependence: A Review of Current and Future Implications of Socioeconomic Changes for Integrated Water Resource Management in the Okavango Catchment of Southern Africa

The Interactive Influence of Institutional Quality and Resource Dependence on Regional Economic Growth: Evidence from China’s Resource-Based Provinces

In China, after experiencing high resource dependence (RD) and extensive development, some regions that once had abundant resource reserves have fallen into a state of long-term economic stagnation. Therefore, an in-depth analysis of the relationship, the influencing mechanisms, and the key influencing factors between natural resources and regional economic development will help to clarify the change in and the development of China’s resource-based regions. This study takes 19 resource-based provinces in China as the research object, and it builds an analysis model that includes the regional economic growth, the RD, the institutional quality (IQ), the technological innovation (TI), and other variables, on the basis of panel data from 2000 to 2019. China’s actual research conclusions. First, there is a substantial negative correlation between RD and economic development; that is, at the current stage of economic development in the sample provinces, the resource-curse (RC) phenomenon exists, and RD has become an obstacle to economic growth. Moreover, through further research, we find that institutional relationships between quality and economic growth are not apparent, but there is a significant positive correlation between the interaction term of the IQ and RD and economic growth. Finally, TI plays an important intermediary function in the relation between RD and economic growth; high-quality TI can significantly reduce the adverse impact of RD on economic growth. The conclusions of this study help enrich the connotation of the “resource curse” theory in terms of emerging economies, and the policy implications have guiding significance for China’s ongoing “regional economic transformation and sustainable development.”

Water Tourism: A New Strategy for the Sustainable Management of Water-Based Ecosystems and Landscapes in Extremadura (Spain)

Water is an important element for the conservation of ecosystems and for human wellbeing. Recently, there has been a loss of awareness about the value of this resource, which requires scientific and practical action to encourage the rise of a new cultural attitude regarding water. Tourism gives water resources great potential, because it facilitates the development of such attractive resources, combining their protection with respectful use. However, studies that have explored the water tourism–territory relationship are still scarce. The objective of this work is to explore the current, touristic use of the aquifer sites in the Spanish region of Extremadura in order to determine whether these practices have the potential to generate new sensitivity about the value of water and its importance in socioeconomic development and environmental conservation. This research uses qualitative and quantitative methodologies, obtaining results that confirm the strategic role of water in the proper management of ecosystems and for the enhancement of human wellbeing. The empirical results show the beginning of a change in water-based tourism from both a supply- and demand-side perspectives. The conclusions suggest potential new measures that will facilitate a better understanding of the value of water, enhance the quality of life for everyone, and safeguard ecosystems.