Urbanization In China Case Study

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Case studies
China
Urbanization and farmland conversion in China:
China has the world’s largest population with about 1,4 billion inhabitants according to the United Nations (2013). Even though the population is expected to decrease the country is still experiencing a rapid urbanization (United Nations 2013 ). According to the UNs latest world urbanization prospects China’s urban population is expected to grow by 292 millions between 2014 and 2050 which means a rise in the urban population from 54% to 75% (The United Nations 2014)
China is also experiencing a great economic growth that leads to farmland conversion, when cropland is converted for urbanization and industrialization purposes (Tan, Beckmann et al. 2009). The growing population and rapid urbanization in combination with increasing farmland conversion is making the government concerned about the food security, and whether or not China will be able to sustain themselves (Tan, Beckmann et al. 2009)
China already has one of the lowest cropland per capita rate in the world, with 0,1 ha per capita, which is 50% lower than the world average (FAO 2013). The combination of population growth during the last two decades and the increase in wages, due to the economic growth, has led to an increasing food-demand (Yang and Li 2000). Simultaneously as the food-demand has increased the area of cropland is …show more content…

There has been competition for lands around rural-urban fringes as cities expanded and this has led to an increase in the conversion of agricultural lands for residential and industrial purposes. For example, although almost 70% of the northern region is rural, this figure is decreasing rapid as a result of migration and the influx of people to this area has had a negative impact on agriculture. Lands that were earmarked for agriculture 40 years ago have now been converted as a result of urbanization in the country (Yankson and Gough,

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