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Ma L, Liu S, Niu Y, Chen M. Village-Scale Livelihood Change and the Response of Rural Settlement Land Use: Sihe Village of Tongwei County in Mid-Gansu Loess Hilly Region as an Example. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2018; 15:ijerph15091801. [PMID: 30134608 PMCID: PMC6164424 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph15091801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2018] [Revised: 08/13/2018] [Accepted: 08/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Rural livelihood change has great influence on the scale, structure, and morphology of rural settlement land use, thus bringing new challenges to rural revitalization and settlement reconstruction. Sihe village of Tongwei County in mid-Gansu loess hilly region (China) was taken as an example here. Based on participatory rural appraisal data, we analyzed the structure and allocation of rural households’ livelihood assets as well as their livelihood diversity by using ecological asset, livelihood diversification index, and landscape pattern index models. We aimed to find a response mechanism between rural livelihood change and rural settlement land use change. The results might provide useful information for the selection of new village sites, reconstruction of rural settlements, and creation of livable rural environment. Results indicate that: (1) The total value of the average livelihood assets per household in the Sihe village increased significantly from 0.48 in 1988 to 1.288 in 2016. The four types of livelihood assets including natural, material, manpower, and financial assets changed with time. In 1988, the manpower asset was the most important type of livelihood assets, with value accounting for 76.67% of the total value of livelihood assets. With the extension of time, the proportions of the four types of assets in total livelihood assets became closer to each other. The livelihood diversification index of the Sihe village increased from 2.01 in 1988 to 3 in 2016, indicating the rural livelihoods became diverse; (2) Because of the dual influence of external environmental factors and the rural development policies of the country and the region, the livelihoods changed towards agricultural sector from 1988 to 2008, and the agricultural livelihoods tended to be diverse. The following trend of livelihood strategy change was observed: from diverse non-agricultural production group (IV) to agricultural and non-agricultural production group (III), then to diverse agricultural production group (II) and finally to agricultural production group (I). After 2008, the livelihoods changed towards non-agricultural sector, and the non-agricultural livelihoods tended to be diverse. This trend of livelihood change is opposite to that before 2008; (3) 2008 is the key year of livelihood change. Livelihood change caused changes in the scale, structure, and morphology of rural settlement land use, which eventually led to the change of rural residential land use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Libang Ma
- College of Geography and Environmental Science, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou 730000, China.
| | - Shichun Liu
- College of Geography and Environmental Science, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou 730000, China.
| | - Yiwen Niu
- College of Geography and Environmental Science, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou 730000, China.
| | - Meimei Chen
- College of Geography and Environmental Science, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou 730000, China.
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Ziegler AD, Echaubard P, Lee YT, Chuah CJ, Wilcox BA, Grundy-Warr C, Sithithaworn P, Petney TN, Laithevewat L, Ong X, Andrews RH, Ismail T, Sripa B, Khuntikeo N, Poonpon K, Tungtang P, Tuamsuk K. Untangling the Complexity of Liver Fluke Infection and Cholangiocarcinoma in NE Thailand Through Transdisciplinary Learning. Ecohealth 2016; 13:316-327. [PMID: 26822781 DOI: 10.1007/s10393-015-1087-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2015] [Revised: 10/22/2015] [Accepted: 11/19/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
This study demonstrates how a transdisciplinary learning approach provided new insights for explaining persistent Opisthorchis viverrini infection in northern Thailand, as well as elucidating problems of focusing solely on the parasite as a means of addressing high prevalence of cholangiocarcinoma. Researchers from diverse backgrounds collaborated to design an investigative homestay program for 72 Singaporean and Thai university students in five northeast Thai villages. The students explored how liver fluke infection and potential cholangiocarcinoma development are influenced by local landscape dynamics, aquatic ecology, livelihoods, food culture and health education. Qualitative fieldwork was guided daily by the researchers in a collaborative, co-learning process that led to viewing this health issue as a complex system, influenced by interlinked multidimensional factors. Our transdisciplinary experience has led us to believe that an incomplete understanding of these linkages may reduce the efficacy of interventions. Further, viewing liver fluke infection and cholangiocarcinoma as the same issue is inadvisable. Although O. viverrini infection is an established risk factor for the development of cholangiocarcinoma, multiple factors are known to influence the likelihood of acquiring either. Understanding the importance of the current livelihood transition, landscape modification and the resulting mismatch between local cultures and new socio-ecological settings on cholangiocarcinoma initiation and liver fluke transmission is of critical importance as it may help readjust our view of the respective role of O. viverrini and other socioeconomic risk factors in cholangiocarcinoma etiology and refine intervention strategies. As demonstrated in this study, transdisciplinary approaches have the potential to yield more nuanced perspectives to complex diseases than research that focuses on specific aspects of their epidemiology. They may therefore be valuable when designing effective solutions to context-sensitive diseases such as liver fluke infection and cholangiocarcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- A D Ziegler
- Department of Geography, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, National University of Singapore, AS2-04-21, 1 Arts Link, Singapore, 117570, Singapore.
| | - P Echaubard
- Tropical Disease Research Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
- Global Health Asia, Faculty of Public Health, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Department of Biology, Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON, Canada
| | - Y T Lee
- Department of Geography, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, National University of Singapore, AS2-04-21, 1 Arts Link, Singapore, 117570, Singapore
| | - C J Chuah
- Department of Geography, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, National University of Singapore, AS2-04-21, 1 Arts Link, Singapore, 117570, Singapore
| | - B A Wilcox
- Global Health Asia, Faculty of Public Health, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - C Grundy-Warr
- Department of Geography, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, National University of Singapore, AS2-04-21, 1 Arts Link, Singapore, 117570, Singapore
| | - P Sithithaworn
- Tropical Disease Research Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
- Liver Fluke and Cholangiocarcinoma Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
| | - T N Petney
- Department of Ecology and Parasitology, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Kornblumenstrasse 13, Karlsruhe, Germany
- Cholangiocarcinoma Screening and Care Program (CASCAP), Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
| | - L Laithevewat
- Office of Prevention and Control 8, Udonthani Province, Thailand
| | - X Ong
- Department of Geography, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, National University of Singapore, AS2-04-21, 1 Arts Link, Singapore, 117570, Singapore
| | - R H Andrews
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
- Liver Fluke and Cholangiocarcinoma Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
- Cholangiocarcinoma Screening and Care Program (CASCAP), Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
| | - T Ismail
- Department of Geography, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, National University of Singapore, AS2-04-21, 1 Arts Link, Singapore, 117570, Singapore
| | - B Sripa
- Tropical Disease Research Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
| | - N Khuntikeo
- Cholangiocarcinoma Screening and Care Program (CASCAP), Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
| | - K Poonpon
- Department of English Language, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
| | - P Tungtang
- Department of English Language, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
| | - K Tuamsuk
- Department of English Language, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
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