Organically Linking Green Development and Ecological Environment Protection in Poyang Lake, China Using a Social-Ecological System (SES) Framework

Abstract

Wetlands are unique ecosystems formed by the interaction between land and water on Earth. Poyang Lake, which is a part of China’s largest freshwater lake wetland, is well known for its ecological and economic importance. This study uses a social-ecological system (SES) framework that integrates watershed and human activities; we used action scenarios to analyse the influencing factors, solutions, and feedback mechanisms involved in the SES framework. We chose Nanchang, Jiujiang, and Shangrao in the Poyang Lake wetlands of the Jiangxi province as the study areas to provide a problem-oriented analytical strategy for the organic interface between ecological conservation and green development. The key issues indicate that the Poyang Lake region faces multiple problems, such as ecosystem structural changes and environmental pollution, caused by anthropological activities, inefficient implementation of conservation policies, and insufficient funding for pollution prevention and control. Our findings provide a systematic solution for major conservation and development issues in the Poyang Lake region and are adapted to the characteristics of the lake. We also provide a theoretical reference and direction for the implementation of green development and modernisation of ecological governance in the Great Lakes basin in China.