Economic development and optimal allocation of land use in ecological emigration area in China

Due to factors such as climate, environment, and resource scarcity, a large number of ecological immigration activities have been carried out in many regions of the world, and a large amount of land has been abandoned in emigration areas, which makes it difficult to reflect the economic value of the land in the process of land ecological restoration. Many scholars mainly focus on the socio-economic development of the immigration area, while the ecological economic value of the land in the emigration area is neglected. The Chinese government has organised and implemented six large-scale resettlement projects in Ningxia to alleviate poverty and bring prosperity to areas where the soil and water are not well nourished and people are struggling. Thus, this study observed Guyuan City, Haiyuan County, and Tongxin County in central and southern Ningxia and conducted a systematic and comprehensive analysis of land resources, natural resources, the ecological environment, and social economy in the emigration area. Based on the accurate identification of the land scale of the emigration area, evaluating industrial suitability in the ecological emigration area, this study intended to strike a balance between ecological and economic development. The results showed that the emigration area is 8.0794 million mus, and the main types of land use are grassland, arable land, and forest land; the industrial development directions include large-scale livestock farming, drought-tolerant fruit farming, cold-resistant vegetable farming, modern forestry, specialised understory and photovoltaic and wind power production. The results provide policy inspiration for sustainable land use in ecological emigration areas, and propose practical ways for social capital and financial institutions to participate in the land development and promote ecological and economic value balance of emigration areas in the world.