POLITICAL ECOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL-MANAGEMENT IN THE LOESS PLATEAU, CHINA

This paper explores the changing political ecology of soil and water m anagement-the articulation of physical and political-economic processe s-in the Loess Plateau of north-central China. Market-oriented reforms and the shift from collective to household farming have created a div erse array of tenure, management, and financing arrangements. In the p rocess relationships between farm households, the collective, and the state have been altered, with profound implications for land use and s ustainability. The paper reviews the political ecology approach and it s relevance to environmental management in China. An outline of the ph ysical and economic context of soil erosion in the Loess Plateau is fo llowed by examination of the impact of reform on rural environmental m anagement. Local innovations in the organization of environmental mana gement are highlighted. The conclusion comments on the utility of the regional political ecology approach and suggests some critical issues for further research.