Assessment on the Spatial Distribution Suitability of Ethnic Minority Villages in Fujian Province Based on GeoDetector and AHP Method

Abstract

Ethnic minority villages are important resources for the economy and social development of ethnic minority areas because they preserve ethnic minorities’ culture. With the rapid development of industrialization and urbanization in China, the factors affecting the development of villages have changed. With the help and guidance of the government, the gap between villages has increased. According to the development conditions of ethnic minority villages at the present stage, the suitability of their spatial distribution has been studied, the existing problems in the current development have been explored, and the development laws and future development trends have been found. To make the evaluation results more scientific and objective, Geographical Detector (Geodetector) and Absorbent Hygiene Product (AHP) methods are used to establish the evaluation model. Taking 567 ethnic minority villages in Fujian Province as the research object, 13 factors are selected from the aspects of natural geographical, socio-economy and cultural life to construct the evaluation indicator system of Fujian ethnic minority villages, and the spatial distribution suitability of Fujian ethnic minority villages is quantitatively evaluated. The findings indicated the following: (1) The per capita income of villages has the most important impact on the suitability of spatial distribution of Fujian minority villages. Through comprehensive evaluation, the impact of cultural life indicators on the suitability of the spatial distribution of the village is greater than that of socio-economic indicators and natural geographical indicators. The intensity relationship is 9:7:10. (2) The high suitability value is concentrated in Fujian Province’s southeast coastal and central areas, gradually decreasing from east to west. In Fujian Province, 82.84%of the land is suitable for the development of ethnic minority villages, with 89% of ethnic minority villages. The unsuitable areas are mostly in Fujian’s north and west. (3) The most suitable cities for the number of ethnic minority villages are Ningde City and Quanzhou City because ethnic minority villages in these two cities are mostly distributed in areas relatively close to the central urban area, with good economic conditions, flat terrain, and easy transportation. The cities of Nanping and Sanming are the least suitable for many ethnic minority villages, which are primarily limited by topographic conditions, have a backward economy, a sparse road network, and have experienced significant population loss. In the context of urbanization, the evaluation results can provide a reference for the precise development and protection of minority villages. Governments at all levels in Fujian Province can adjust and optimize the development strategies of minority villages according to the evaluation results.

Migration and Land Exploitation from Yuan to Qing Dynasties: Insights from 252 Traditional Villages in Hunan, China

“…Geographical detectors are widely used in geological hazard assessments and resource analyses [50][51][52]. At present, there is much room for their application in exploring the aspects of traditional villages, such as the natural geography, social economy, and cultural life and for constructing an evaluation index system of the research area [53][54][55]. Through assessments via Geodetector, the driving mechanisms of the spatial differences and environmental factors affecting the development of villages can be obtained.…”

Study on the Spatial Distribution Characteristics and Poverty Inducements of Poverty-Stricken Villages in Henan Province

“…Villages are still distributed along the river in mountainous areas and keep close contact with the river. Under the influence of elevation, undulation, slope, and other terrain variations, disaster risk has become the main element affecting the distribution of the poverty-stricken villages [43,44].…”

Spatial patterns, factors, and ethnic differences: A study on ethnic minority villages in Yunnan, China

“…International scholars' research on ethnic settlements or communities encompasses the types and changes of ethnic communities [ [5] , [6] , [7] ], tourism development [ [8] , [9] , [10] ], protection of ethnic settlements and buildings [ 11 , 12 ], protection and inheritance of ethnic culture [ 13 , 14 ], and more. Chinese scholars' research on ethnic minority villages mainly focuses on the following aspects: evaluation of historical and cultural value or development potential [ [15] , [16] , [17] ], exploration of protection and development paths [ [18] , [19] , [20] , [21] , [22] ], spatial morphological characteristics and evolution laws [ [23] , [24] , [25] , [26] ], intangible cultural characteristics and their inheritance [ [27] , [28] , [29] ], and the regional spatial distribution characteristics and their impact mechanisms [ [30] , [31] , [32] , [33] , [34] , [35] , [36] , [37] , [38] , [39] , [40] , [41] , [42] , [43] ]. The research topic of this article falls into the latter category.…”