Modelling and mapping natural hazard regulating ecosystem services in Sapa, Lao Cai province, Vietnam

authored by: Kinh Bac Dang, Benjamin Burkhard, Felix Müller, Van Bao Dang
Abstract: Land use change due to the development of agriculture and community-based tourism has resulted in an increase in natural hazards (e.g. erosion and landslides) that affect sustainability in the Sapa mountainous area in northern Vietnam. Natural hazard regulating ecosystem services have protected the local people from the destruction of their villages, goods and natural resources, especially in the rainy season. However, it is difficult to identify which kinds of anthropogenic constructions support a co-production of regulating services in human-influenced social–ecological systems and in which specific types of land use and land cover the supply of such services takes place, especially in heterogeneous mountainous areas. Therefore, this research attempts to (1) distinguish between the potential and actual use (flow) of natural hazard regulating ecosystem services and (2) understand how soil erosion and landslide regulating ecosystem services can contribute to a sustainable management of different ecosystems, especially in rice fields and forest areas. Two models (InVEST for soil erosion, Analytic Hierarchy Process for landslide analysis) were used to analyze and map the contributions of natural versus anthropogenic components for regulating natural hazards in Sapa. The results show the incoherent distribution of erosion regulating services and low capacities of landslide regulating services in areas that have seriously been affected by human activities, especially forestry and agricultural development. The contribution of rice ecosystems to soil erosion mitigation is higher than in the case of landslides. Nevertheless, one-third of the area of paddy fields in the case study area have “no” capacity to supply natural hazard regulating ecosystem services and should therefore be re-forested.
Organisation(s): Institute of Physical Geography and Landscape Ecology
Physical Geography Group
External Organisation(s): Kiel University
Vietnam National University
Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF)
Type: Article
Journal: Paddy and Water Environment
Volume: 16
Pages: 767-781
No. of pages: 15
ISSN: 1611-2490
Publication date: 10.2018
Publication status: Published
Peer reviewed: Yes
ASJC Scopus subject areas: Environmental Engineering, Agronomy and Crop Science, Water Science and Technology
Sustainable Development Goals: SDG 8 - Decent Work and Economic Growth, SDG 15 - Life on Land
Electronic version(s): https://doi.org/10.1007/s10333-018-0667-6 (Access: Closed)