North China is the most important food basket of China, where the majority of wheat and corn are produced. Most crops grown in North China are irrigated, thus water security is food security. Since the 1980s, drying has been frequently observed, as shown by a reduction in precipitation, cutoff in riverflow, and shrinkage of lakes. This increase in drying cannot be explained by climate change alone. We propose that intensive land-use in this area in recent decades has had a significant impact.

Academics and policy-makers seeking to assess public perception and preferences of landscape face major challenges conceptually, methodologically and institutionally. The terms ‘landscape’, ‘public’ and ‘perception’ are contested and generate their own discourses and extensive literature. However, set within multi-disciplinary and interdisciplinary blends of natural and social scientificresearch, considerable progress has been made on all fronts. This paper seeks to untangle the complex array of conceptual and methodological frameworks that have evolved in landscape perception.

The Northern Uplands of Vietnam form one of the largest ecological regions in the country, characterized by complex biophysical conditions and a high diversity in ethnic minorities, cultures, and farming systems. The Doi moi (“renovation”) program has, since the early 1980s, resulted in significant changes in agriculture production and related economic trends. However, poverty, low agricultural productivity, and land degradation are still major problems.