Gorge floodplain landscape dynamics and sustainability: Insights from human-nature interactions

More than one billion people worldwide reside in mountain area, most of which are concentrated in gorge floodplains, grappling with the dual challenges of flooding and land scarcity. The sustainability assessment of gorge floodplains, while a critical topic within sustainability science, remains notably under-researched. We used remote sensing, statistical, and research data to analyze landscape pattern changes and environmental-socioeconomic coupling trends in the Mentougou gorge floodplain (MGF), China. Over the past 20 years, the MGF has generally transformed from a production-oriented to an ecology-oriented landscape, which can be divided into three stages: an internal adjustment period of the pro-duction landscape, a transition period to an ecology-oriented landscape, and a supplementary construction period of infrastructure. The coupling coordination between the environmental and socioeconomic systems in MGF has improved from serious imbalance to good coordination. However, this coordination relationship has shown a trend of slowing down or even stagnation in recent years, posing a risk to the long-term sustainability of the regional landscape system. Therefore, this article proposes that the traditional "incremental development" approach must be replaced by "inventory updates" through Nature-based Solutions. The methodology can guide other studies, and the results can support local governments in formulating sustainable development policies.