Resource-Oriented Treatment Technologies for Rural Domestic Sewage in China Amidst Population Shrinkage: A Case Study of Heyang County in Guanzhong Region, Shaanxi Province
The rural population shrinkage caused by China’s imbalanced regional development poses challenges to infrastructure configuration and operation. Traditional centralized sewage treatment models face issues in cost-effectiveness, facility utilization rates, and sustainable maintenance, necessitating t...
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2025-04-01
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| author | Mei Huang Degang Duan Sicheng Tan Ling Huang |
| author_facet | Mei Huang Degang Duan Sicheng Tan Ling Huang |
| author_sort | Mei Huang |
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| description | The rural population shrinkage caused by China’s imbalanced regional development poses challenges to infrastructure configuration and operation. Traditional centralized sewage treatment models face issues in cost-effectiveness, facility utilization rates, and sustainable maintenance, necessitating the exploration of adaptive governance technologies under new demographic conditions. The utilization-driven governance approach is recognized as an emerging method for rural domestic sewage management. This study selects Heyang County, a representative agricultural area in Guanzhong Plain, as a case study. Through mixed-methods research integrating qualitative and quantitative approaches, we analyze the correlation between the Population Shrinkage Index (PSI) and facility operational efficiency, investigate the impact of resident population dynamics on rural sewage treatment patterns, and establish a theoretical “Source–Transmission–Sink” framework. Synthesizing local traditional governance practices with modern technological solutions, we propose a resource-oriented treatment system adapted to population shrinkage trends, comprising three technical components: source process reduction, transmission process interception, and sink process attenuation. This research emphasizes adjusting green water infrastructure (GWI) spatial configurations according to village characteristics in production–living–ecological spaces, forming a hierarchical attenuation mechanism through circular transmission pathways. This facilitates the transition from gray-infrastructure-dependent models to holistic pollution control systems with resource recovery capabilities. The findings provide theoretical foundations for policymaking and infrastructure planning in rural sewage management, offering significant references for sustainable rural water resource governance. |
| format | Article |
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| institution | Kabale University |
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| language | English |
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| spelling | doaj-art-ca5588bef46a45499312d5dbcde6296e2025-08-20T03:52:57ZengMDPI AGBuildings2075-53092025-04-01159141710.3390/buildings15091417Resource-Oriented Treatment Technologies for Rural Domestic Sewage in China Amidst Population Shrinkage: A Case Study of Heyang County in Guanzhong Region, Shaanxi ProvinceMei Huang0Degang Duan1Sicheng Tan2Ling Huang3School of Architecture, Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi’an 710055, ChinaSchool of Architecture, Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi’an 710055, ChinaSchool of Architecture, Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi’an 710055, ChinaSchool of Architecture, Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi’an 710055, ChinaThe rural population shrinkage caused by China’s imbalanced regional development poses challenges to infrastructure configuration and operation. Traditional centralized sewage treatment models face issues in cost-effectiveness, facility utilization rates, and sustainable maintenance, necessitating the exploration of adaptive governance technologies under new demographic conditions. The utilization-driven governance approach is recognized as an emerging method for rural domestic sewage management. This study selects Heyang County, a representative agricultural area in Guanzhong Plain, as a case study. Through mixed-methods research integrating qualitative and quantitative approaches, we analyze the correlation between the Population Shrinkage Index (PSI) and facility operational efficiency, investigate the impact of resident population dynamics on rural sewage treatment patterns, and establish a theoretical “Source–Transmission–Sink” framework. Synthesizing local traditional governance practices with modern technological solutions, we propose a resource-oriented treatment system adapted to population shrinkage trends, comprising three technical components: source process reduction, transmission process interception, and sink process attenuation. This research emphasizes adjusting green water infrastructure (GWI) spatial configurations according to village characteristics in production–living–ecological spaces, forming a hierarchical attenuation mechanism through circular transmission pathways. This facilitates the transition from gray-infrastructure-dependent models to holistic pollution control systems with resource recovery capabilities. The findings provide theoretical foundations for policymaking and infrastructure planning in rural sewage management, offering significant references for sustainable rural water resource governance.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/15/9/1417rural domestic sewageresource-oriented treatment technologydecentralized treatmentsustainable sanitation facilitiesgreen water infrastructure (GWI)population shrinkage |
| spellingShingle | Mei Huang Degang Duan Sicheng Tan Ling Huang Resource-Oriented Treatment Technologies for Rural Domestic Sewage in China Amidst Population Shrinkage: A Case Study of Heyang County in Guanzhong Region, Shaanxi Province Buildings rural domestic sewage resource-oriented treatment technology decentralized treatment sustainable sanitation facilities green water infrastructure (GWI) population shrinkage |
| title | Resource-Oriented Treatment Technologies for Rural Domestic Sewage in China Amidst Population Shrinkage: A Case Study of Heyang County in Guanzhong Region, Shaanxi Province |
| title_full | Resource-Oriented Treatment Technologies for Rural Domestic Sewage in China Amidst Population Shrinkage: A Case Study of Heyang County in Guanzhong Region, Shaanxi Province |
| title_fullStr | Resource-Oriented Treatment Technologies for Rural Domestic Sewage in China Amidst Population Shrinkage: A Case Study of Heyang County in Guanzhong Region, Shaanxi Province |
| title_full_unstemmed | Resource-Oriented Treatment Technologies for Rural Domestic Sewage in China Amidst Population Shrinkage: A Case Study of Heyang County in Guanzhong Region, Shaanxi Province |
| title_short | Resource-Oriented Treatment Technologies for Rural Domestic Sewage in China Amidst Population Shrinkage: A Case Study of Heyang County in Guanzhong Region, Shaanxi Province |
| title_sort | resource oriented treatment technologies for rural domestic sewage in china amidst population shrinkage a case study of heyang county in guanzhong region shaanxi province |
| topic | rural domestic sewage resource-oriented treatment technology decentralized treatment sustainable sanitation facilities green water infrastructure (GWI) population shrinkage |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/15/9/1417 |
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