ความยั่งยืนที่แปรผันตามพื้นที่: วิเคราะห์ความสัมพันธ์ระหว่างป่าไม้ เกษตรกรรม และความยากจน

Sudarat Patumta

Authors

Sudarat Patumta College of Politics and Governance, Mahasarakham University

Keywords:

Place-based sustainability, Rural economic structure, Natural resources

Abstract

Sustainability is often conceptualized as a universal objective integrating environmental, economic, and social dimensions. Yet in practice, its outcomes are spatially uneven, shaped by local ecologies, production systems, and structural inequalities. This study investigates the interrelationships among forest cover, agricultural land, agricultural employment, rural population, population density, GDP per capita, poverty headcount, and freshwater resources per capita. Pearson correlation analysis is applied to macro-level data across selected countries to explore how resource distribution and socioeconomic structures co-vary.

The findings reveal that forest cover is significantly and positively associated with freshwater availability per capita, while inversely related to population density, agricultural land, and GDP per capita. These results highlight the ecological role of forest ecosystems in sustaining water resources and buffering against the pressures of demographic concentration. At the same time, rural populations remain closely tied to poverty and agricultural dependence, reflecting a structural vulnerability in areas where environmental assets may be abundant but economic opportunities are limited.

This study argues that sustainability must be understood as place-dependent. Development policies that overlook spatial variation risk reinforcing cycles of poverty and ecological degradation. A deeper understanding of the socio-ecological linkages within specific contexts is essential for designing effective, equitable, and enduring sustainability strategies that truly address local realities while supporting broader global goals.

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