Stakeholder Participation for Nature-Based Solutions: Inspiration for Rural Area’s Sustainability in China

Abstract

Due to the current pressure of rural modernization and industrialization, rural areas are facing social and environmental challenges such as a lack of cultural identity, low democratic participation, and the destruction of landscape ecology, especially in China, a large and representative developing country. The nature-based solutions (NbS) approach states that achieving the multiple benefits of nature for health and well-being requires wider stakeholder collaboration and integration of nature into the policies. Although many scholars have argued that NbS have a significant positive contribution to sustainability in rural areas, there is still a lack of clear pathways for NbS to guide farmer participation and address environmental issues. This paper first summarizes the theoretical research and practical experience of stakeholder participation for NbS through a systematic review. The literature analysis is mainly conducted from five perspectives: policies, benefits, challenges, methods, and frameworks. Combined with the “farmers as the main body” principle of China’s rural revitalization strategy, this study proposes to (1) stimulate farmers’ awareness of environmental protection; (2) enhance farmers’ participation and sense of ownership; (3) enhance farmers’ ability to take action to improve the ecological environment; and (4) integrate eco-design into their lives, make environmental protection education deeply rooted in people’s hearts, and cultivate green farmers.