Abstract:

From damaging forest for reclaiming wasteland to the conversion of cropland to forestland, which conforms to the social development and negates the model of the economic increment concentrating on material civilization alone, is the inevitable selection to implement the sustainable development strategy in China. As the project of conversing cropland to forestland in the Western China is being put into effect at present, all kinds of impacts have been brought about objectively in the project areas, and the validity and sustainability of the project have been faced serous challenges from various factors in the Western China. Therefore, its impacts evaluation is essential prerequisite for decision-making. The index system of assessing social impacts of the project was developed according to its characteristic. The basic data were collected through investigation. The ecological, social and economical impacts of the project were evaluated and analized systematically by means of the qualitative and quantitative combination taken Huize County and Qingzhen City as examplese. Some countermeasures to promote its sustainable development were suggested on the basis of discussing the social variables restricting the validity and sustainability of the project.

Key words: The Western China, Conversion of cropland to forestland, Social impacts, Evaluation, Countermeasures