Comprehensive evaluation of newly cultivated land sustainable utilization at project scale: A case study in Guangdong, China

Cultivated land plays a pivotal role in ensuring national food security, particularly in populous nations like China, where substantial investments are made to develop cultivated land as a counterbalance to construction-occupied areas. Consequently, long-term, effective monitoring of the utilization of newly cultivated land becomes imperative. This study introduces a comprehensive monitoring framework, designed for refined scales, that leverages remote sensing data. The framework focuses on the sustainable utilization of newly cultivated land, emphasizing utilization sustainability, productivity stability, and landscape integration. Its effectiveness was validated through a case study in Guangdong province, China. The results revealed satisfactory utilization sustainability and improved productivity stability of newly cultivated land in Guangdong, though landscape integration showed sub-optimal results. Furthermore, the comprehensive evaluation categorized the newly cultivated land into three levels and eight types. The study recommends enhancing the site selection process for newly cultivated land and improving the long-term monitoring, as well as incentive and constraint mechanisms, for their utilization. This study can provide a scientific reference to bolster the implementation of cultivated land protection policies, thereby contributing significantly to high-quality economic and social development.