14 JAN 2025 (TUE) 10:05-10:25

Opportunities and Challenges of Sustainable Rural Transport: Insights from China

Ms LIANG Yiqing

( Supervisor: Prof Becky P.Y. Loo )

Abstract:

The transport sector generates significant environmental, social, and economic impacts on society. While current research on sustainable transport mainly examines urban areas, rural transport sustainability merits attention due to its distinct challenges. In general, rural areas face challenges including low population density and dispersed settlements, which lead to low freight efficiency and limited public transport services. In China, these challenges are acute, where rural transport development struggles with infrastructure inadequacy, service inefficiency, and environmental concerns. 

This study aims to develop a better understanding of sustainable rural transport development through examining its multiple dimensions. China is chosen as a case study as its proactive policy initiatives in rural revitalization and increasing adoption of technologies in rural transport provide valuable insights for rural regions facing similar challenges in other countries. The study is organized around four interconnected objectives spanning the local, regional, and national scales. At the local scale, it aims to develop an integrated framework for evaluating rural freight transport sustainability across environmental, social, and economic dimensions, utilizing 46,928 transaction records from an innovative cable-based freight system. At the regional scale, it aims to investigate the dynamics between different stakeholders' preferences in rural infrastructure development. The investigation will be based on multiple surveys from 689 town officials, 2,600 village officials, and 9,787 villagers across 1,330 villages in Guangdong Province. At the regional scale, it aims to examine how spatial and social disadvantages jointly influenced rural residents' access to public services. The analysis will be based on a survey of approximately 1,440 residents across 12 representative villages in Guangdong Province. Finally, at the national scale, it aims to identify distinct patterns of transport challenges across various rural contexts and develop targeted sustainable solutions. This analysis will make use of multi-source datasets covering 45,312 townships nationwide. 

Overall, this study examines rural transport from multiple spatial scales to provide insights into the sustainable development of rural transport. The findings are expected to contribute to both the academic literature and evidence-based policy making, particularly in the rural context where transport sustainability remains a significant challenge.