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Ecological Enhancement Through Smart Green Village Development: Strategic Options, Key Influencing Factors, and Simulation Evidence from Hunan Province, China

Author

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  • Wei Wang

    (School of Public Administration and Law, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China)

  • Manman Cheng

    (School of Public Administration and Law, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China)

  • Bin Zhang

    (School of Public Administration and Law, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China)

Abstract

Against the dual backdrop of the “digital countryside” initiative and the development of ecological civilization, the construction of smart green villages has increasingly emerged as a vital pathway for improving rural ecological environment. This study utilizes a three-dimensional framework—including strategic choice, influencing factors, and simulation practice—to construct an evolutionary game model involving the government, enterprises, and villagers. A systematic simulation is conducted based on a field case from Village P in the hilly region of Hunan Province, China. The results of the study reveal the following: (1) Under the combination of high financial incentives, low technical support, and high villager participation, the ecosystem achieves the most stable and positive evolution. Moreover, collaborative governance outperforms unilateral control. (2) Financial support, technological provision, and environmental awareness constitute the three core variables driving the evolution of ecological governance. (3) Cognitive feedback mechanisms significantly influence the dynamic trajectory of green behaviors in enterprises. (4) The simulation results indicate a risk of “sub-stable” divergence in the collaborative mechanism. Furthermore, the stability of the governance system heavily relies on the alignment between policy configuration and information structure. This study offers theoretical support and empirical validation for the institutional design of and strategic interventions for smart green villages, serving as a valuable reference for local-level implementation.

Suggested Citation

  • Wei Wang & Manman Cheng & Bin Zhang, 2025. "Ecological Enhancement Through Smart Green Village Development: Strategic Options, Key Influencing Factors, and Simulation Evidence from Hunan Province, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(13), pages 1-29, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:13:p:6041-:d:1692544
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