# Advancements, Dynamics, and Future Directions in Rural Environmental Governance Research in China
## 2 Literature Review  
Presently, scholars hailing from diverse countries have engaged in comprehensive research concerning REM. In developed nations like the United States and Europe, these states typically boast well-established legal frameworks and governance systems, with a pronounced emphasis on sustainable agriculture [9], safeguarding water resources [10], and mitigating pollution [11]. Research endeavors pertaining to REM in these nations have reached a relatively advanced stage. The European Union's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) underscores the importance of environmental protection and sustainable agricultural practices [12]. Initiatives within the United States, such as the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) administered by the Department of Agriculture, are geared towards enhancing water quality, fostering the conservation of wildlife habitats, and curtailing soil erosion [13]. Conversely, in developing countries such as China and India, REM has emerged as an increasingly pivotal area of study in recent years. Primary challenges encompass industrial pollution, the excessive utilization of agricultural fertilizers and pesticides, water scarcity, and pollution concerns. For instance, China's approach to rural environmental governance accentuates the development of ecological civilization, which has led to the implementation of an array of strategies including rural wastewater treatment [14] and the recycling of agricultural waste resources [15]. In numerous countries across Africa and Latin America, REM confronts even more intricate challenges. Poverty, inadequate infrastructure, and technological limitations collectively curtail the environmental management capabilities within these regions [16]. Chinese scholars have proposed three environmental governance models as the foundational framework for Resource and Environmental Management (REM) research. Historically, China has primarily embraced the first model, known as the government-led approach [17]. In this model, the government assumes a central role in environmental governance, guided by the concept put forth by Islam regarding the public attributes of environmental resources, which solidify the government's dominant position [18]. The key to achieving sustainable rural ecological environments lies in the enhancement of rural environmental regulatory laws. Traditional rural environmental governance is characterized by a \"government-direct control\" strategy, heavily reliant on administrative authority, and lacking diversified participation from various stakeholders. This top-down environmental governance model encounters challenges in terms of execution and adaptability, frequently resulting in a breakdown of public involvement in rural environmental governance [19]. The second model is the rural autonomous environmental governance approach, which represents an innovative strategy for managing rural environmental issues. However, this model still exhibits several drawbacks, including a limited sense of responsibility among township governments, conflicts of interest among village officials, disorderly conduct by villagers, and communication barriers among the three involved parties [20]. The third model encompasses cooperative governance for the management of rural environments. It establishes a contemporary system for governing rural environments [21], wherein the Party committee assumes a leadership role, the government takes the initiative, enterprises play a pivotal role, and social organizations, as well as the public, participate collectively. This model explicitly integrates a multitude of entities into the framework of rural environmental governance, including the Party committee, government agencies, market forces, social organizations, research institutions, and rural residents [22]. It relies upon soft power and soft legal instruments, characterized by a diverse array of governance entities, flexible approaches to governance, and soft legal governance rules.