A Study on the Water Management Knowledge of Traditional Villages from the Perspective of Stormwater Resilience—A Case Study of Changqi Ancient Village in Guangdong, China

Comments 1:

[The manuscript of the article “Study on Water Management Knowledge of Traditional Villages from the Perspective of Stormwater Resilience: A Case Study of Changqi Ancient Village in Guangdong, China” by Xing Jiang, Sihua He and Ziang Li submitted for review is an improved version of the article “Study on Water Management Wisdom of Traditional Villages under the Perspective of Stormwater Resilience: A Case Study of Changqi Ancient Village in Guangdong, China” by Sihua He, Xing Jiang 1 and Ziang Li, which I previously reviewed.

The manuscript has improved significantly. Compared to the previous version, the figures have been reorganized, new figures have been added, the tables have been expanded, and the text has been improved. My main criticism of the previous version was the need to expand the Discussion. This chapter has been expanded and comparisons with previously published works have been added. However, I believe that Chapter 4 should be restructured. The conclusion should be put at the end. Chapter 4.3. Study Limitations, on the contrary, should be moved up. It is not worth ending the article on a minor note. Every study has its limitations, but every article should not only note the limitations of the research, but also, above all, show the general significance of the work.]

Response 1:

[I fully agree with the reviewer's comments; therefore, I have reorganized the order of Chapter Four. I hope the reviewer will consider this adjustment.Please refer to lines 509-584 of the Main Document. Additionally, to make it easier for the reviewer to understand the revisions without checking the main text, the specific modifications to the original content are as follows:

4. Discussion and Conclusion

4.1. Discussion

Modern stormwater management focuses on optimizing drainage systems to reduce flood risks, heavily relying on technological interventions [5, 42]. However, applying such methods directly to traditional villages could lead to environmental damage, increased costs, and the destruction of historical buildings [6].

Previous research on the water management knowledge of traditional Chinese villages has been mostly subjective qualitative analysis, relying on field surveys, interviews, and historical documents [8-10, 17]. While this approach helps to identify traditional villages with stormwater advantages and clarifies basic principles and strategies from a traditional flood control perspective, it tends to focus on engineering practices while overlooking the importance of ecological aspects. Moreover, past research lacked objective scientific methods to quantitatively assess the water management capabilities of traditional villages. This study used SWMM to not only simulate and demonstrate that Changqi Ancient Village can continue functioning during a once-in-a-century rainfall, but also to quantify its stormwater retention and flood dynamics during heavy rain. By using SWMM, this study explored the construction and simulation of stormwater management models for traditional villages, providing an analytical tool to study water management knowledge in such settings and expanding the application scope of SWMM. Furthermore, based on urban typology, this study visualized the historical evolution of Changqi Ancient Village's spatial structure, enabling a qualitative analysis of how the village achieved a coupling mechanism of socio-ecological resilience in water resource management. This contributes to a comprehensive understanding of the village's historical adaptive behavior and helps predict and replicate effective development pathways for the revival of traditional villages.

The water management knowledge of Changqi Ancient Village has proven valuable in both ecological and social aspects, providing insights for modern development. However, traditional villages like Changqi still face significant challenges, such as a lack of human resources, incomplete local regulations, and limited cooperation from villagers. Traditional water management knowledge have limitations in modern times and need careful evaluation and adaptation to achieve sustainable development. Specifically, from an ecological resilience perspective, it is important to preserve the village's surrounding ecological structure and internal distributed ditch layout. Modern technology could complement traditional single-function drainage facilities, such as adding cover plates to open channels. From a social resilience perspective, digital twin technology could be used to create an interactive platform that empowers villagers as disaster responders and recorders, ensuring the integration of modern development with traditional wisdom [19]. In summary, applying traditional water management knowledge to modern village renewal can not only preserve traditional village culture but also enhance local cultural identity.

4.2. Study Limitations

This study demonstrates the water management knowledge of traditional villages like Changqi in the Lingnan region and analyzes how socio-ecological resilience was achieved throughout its historical evolution. The goal is to draw attention to the water management knowledge of traditional villages and their implications for modern rural planning. However, since this study focuses on a single case, it may not fully represent the water management knowledge of all traditional villages in the Lingnan region. Future research could expand the sample size to summarize regional water management knowledge and apply these insights to the protection and development of other traditional villages. Additionally, the SWMM model and simulations used in this study were based on estimated data, lacking real-world measurements. While the parameters fit within the model's calibration range, the simulation results are only approximations of actual conditions. Future research could use rain gauges and sensors in the study area to calibrate the model with real data, improving the accuracy of the simulation results.

4.3. Conclusion

This paper aims to explain the water management knowledge of traditional Chinese villages through a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods. Changqi Ancient Village is a typical traditional village in the Lingnan region of China. Using the socio-ecological resilience coupling mechanism as a starting point, SWMM was employed to simulate and quantify the stormwater processes in Changqi Ancient Village. The main research findings are as follows:

(1) SWMM effectively quantifies stormwater management in traditional villages.

(2) From an ecological resilience perspective, the village’s geographical location is crucial. The terrain, along with the rainwater regulation system consisting of rivers, ponds, ditches, and permeable surfaces, significantly influences the village's drainage performance.

(3) From a social resilience perspective, community participation is essential for the long-term stability of the village, including post-disaster collective fundraising to repair stormwater management facilities, the establishment of local rules, and the restoration of spiritual sites.

(4) From a socio-ecological resilience perspective, the adaptive cycle of the socio-ecological system is evident. Geographic environment and industrial economy are the primary factors influencing the ecological spatial structure of Changqi Ancient Village, while the positive interaction between nature and society ensures the dynamic balance of this system.] 

Comments 1:

[Abstract: "It applies them directly to village planning...." This sentence can be revised. I don't

quite get the connection with the previous sentence.]

Response 1:

[Thank you for the reviewer’s comments. We have revised the content of the abstract. Please refer to lines 13-33 for the updated version.] 

Comments 2:

Page 2, Line 91-92: “At the same time, there is almost no exploration and excavation of the wisdom of water management in individual villages.” Could the authors briefly comment on how important it is to incorporate "water management in individual villages" and how it could contribute to better flood management? Additionally, will this consideration of each individual village incur higher operational costs?

Response 2: 

[Thank you for your feedback. The water management wisdom of individual villages that excel in flood control and drainage is indeed valuable. Previous studies on traditional village water management have primarily focused on multiple subjects within a region. As a result, these studies often remain at a macro level, such as spatial layout, without delving into the meso- and micro-level water management wisdom, including social structure, ecological organization, and construction practices within the villages. Focusing on a single traditional village allows for a deeper exploration of these aspects.

Additionally, we have revised the introduction and determined that the original passage in question was of low necessity, and thus, it has been deleted. Please see paragraphs 37-129 for details.]

Comments 3:

Page 3, Line 100-101 “…leading to the continuous decline of traditional villages”. In what terms the word “decline” here means? Decline of environment quality? Decline in numbers of tourist coming to visit etc?

Response 3:

[Thank you for your suggestion. "Decline" refers to the phenomenon of village hollowing out caused by rapid urban development, which leads to the loss of valuable cultural elements such as water management wisdom and traditional construction techniques. However, we have revised the introduction and determined that the original passage in question was of low necessity, and thus, it has been deleted. Please see paragraphs 37-129 for details.]

Comments 4:

 Line 117-120: For objective (3) and (4), what are the main differences? They look rather similar.

Response 4:

[Thank you for your suggestion. We have rewritten the introduction.]

Comments 5: 

Page 3, Line 136: What ICLEI abbreviation means?

Response 5:

[ICLEI stands for Local Governments for Sustainability, which has been added to the original text.]

Comments 6: 

Page 4, Line 175: revise "comma" symbol in "... regional representation (Figure 1, 2 and 3)."

Response 6:

[Thank you for your suggestion. We fully agree. We have made extensive revisions to the manuscript format. If there are still issues, please indicate them, and we will make further modifications.]

Comments 7: 

Page 4: Move caption for Table 1 to the next page

Response 7:

[Thank you for your suggestion. We fully agree. We have made extensive revisions to the manuscript format. If there are still issues, please let us know, and we will make further modifications.]

Comments 8:

 Page 5: For Figure 2 and 3, what does the "under a 100-year rainstorm" mean? Do the authors

intend to indicate the "age" of the pond or the river system? What 100-year indicates here?

Response 8:

[Thank you for your suggestion. A 100-year storm refers to the storm intensity value q when recurrence period P is 100 in the SWMM. Using the Chicago Rainfall Generaator, the rain fall aomount is 311.8135mm when P=100. This value is then input into the SWMM to model the changes in water storage volumes of various ponds during the peak rainfall period within a day.]

Comments 9:

Page 5 and 6: Re-check the font type used in Table 2. Ensure the font type to be consistent

with the rest of the manuscript and in accordance to journal guideline

Response 9:

[Thank you for your suggestion. We fully agree. We have made extensive revisions to the manuscript format. If there are still issues, please let us know, and we will make further modifications.]

Comments 10:

Page 10, Figure 9: check the typo "Australian position" vs "Austral position"

Response 10:

[Thank you for your suggestion. We have rechecked this section. Here, it should be referred to as the Australian position.]

Comments 11:

Page 11 and 12: Figure 11 - labels in the coloured-graph cannot be clearly seen.

Response 11:

[Thank you for your feedback; we agree. The chart displayed the storage volumes of ponds surrounding Changqi Ancient Village during 24-hour short-duration rainfall events of varying recurrence intervals. Due to some data points being closely clustered, the graphical representation was not sufficiently clear. Therefore, we have removed this chart. Instead, we opted for a tabular format to provide a more intuitive and clear representation, as detailed in paragraphs 215-219.]

Comments 12:

Page 14, Table 6: revise formatting for "Total flood volume/1x106ltr", i.e. superscript "6

Response 12:

[Thank you for the reviewer's suggestion; we fully agree. We have reviewed the manuscript format extensively and made significant revisions. If there are still issues, please inform us, and we will make further modifications.]

Comments 13:

Page 16, Line 366: “Section (2) Construction of spiritual sites to maintain the concept of regional cultural practices” can be moved to the next page together with its discussion.

Response 13:

[Thank you for your suggestion; this pertains to the social resilience section. We have reorganized and enhanced this section. Please refer to paragraphs 333-395 for details.]

Comments 14:

Discussion:

• How would the authors discuss on the practical challenges or barriers to implementing these strategies in traditional villages like Changqi? Will factors such as inadequate resources, regulatory constraints, or resistance from community members impact the feasibility of certain initiatives?

Response 14:

[Thank you for the reviewer’s comments. We understand your concerns and have strengthened the explanation of this aspect in the discussion section (see lines 417-459).

The water management wisdom embodied in traditional villages like Changqi Ancient Village has withstood the test of time on both ecological and social levels, offering valuable insights for modern development. However, traditional villages like Changqi Ancient Village still face significant challenges today, such as population loss due to urbanization leading to insufficient human resources, incomplete village regulations regarding rainwater management, and low cooperation from some villagers in water management. These issues impact the effective implementation of rainwater management in the village. The rainwater management wisdom of traditional villages is limited by the times and requires comprehensive evaluation and inheritance to achieve sustainable development. Specifically, ecologically, preserving the ecological spatial pattern around the village and the decentralized ditch layout within the village are crucial. Single-function drainage facilities can be improved with modern technological measures, such as open-channel cover plates. Socially, interactive digital platforms can be built using digital twin technology to harness villagers' roles as disaster recipients and recorders, adapting to modern developments while preserving traditional wisdom [39]. In conclusion, applying the rainwater management wisdom of traditional villages to modern village renewal, integrating traditional and modern water management, not only preserves traditional village culture but also enhances villagers' sense of identity with local culture.]

Comments 15:

Discussion:

• While socio-ecological factors have been considered for the sustainable development of traditional villages by the authors, can the authors briefly elaborate on what sustainability means in this context? and how it can be achieved beyond the immediate term? e.g. perhaps comments on the long-term environmental, economic, and social impacts of the proposed strategies would provide a more holistic understanding of the proposed strategies effectiveness.

Response 15:

[Thank you for the reviewer's suggestion; we fully agree and have incorporated it. In the discussion section, we have considered and supplemented this aspect. The water management wisdom of traditional villages like Changqi Ancient Village does indeed face temporal limitations in contemporary contexts. Therefore, it requires a comprehensive assessment and continuity to achieve genuine sustainable development. Please refer to paragraphs 411-459 for details.]

Comments 16:

Discussion:

• Society involvement is another main factor that could ensure the success of the proposed strategy, from authors point of view, how community engagement and empowerment are fostered in Changqi Ancient Village thus far?

Response 16:

[Thank you for your suggestion; we understand your concerns. Through research and interviews, we have found that in promoting community engagement and empowerment, Changqi Ancient Village primarily relies on its village committee, composed of the village party branch secretary and village committee members, to propose initiatives. Additionally, the village continuously enhances its local regulations and community covenants. These elements are crucial factors in ensuring the success of proposed strategies during the village's development process. As this topic has already been addressed in the social resilience section, we will not elaborate on it further in the discussion. Please refer to paragraphs 333-395 for details.]

Comments 17:

Conclusion:

• Could the strategy proposed in this study, along with its outcomes, be applied to other cultural sites or villages in China? How would the implementation of this strategy differ or remain similar when applied to different locations?

Response 17:

[Thank you for your valuable suggestions; we agree and have supplemented this section accordingly.Please refer to paragraphs 397-416 for details.

Differences: The application of SWMM in traditional villages in this study can similarly be extended to cultural sites and traditional villages in different regions of China. However, it requires a clear understanding of the distribution, alignment, and dimensions of village drainage facilities for further simulation analysis.

Similarities: The specific strategies proposed in this research can be applied to cultural sites and villages in similar regional environments across China, such as the water towns in the Pearl River Delta. Practical approaches include preserving the ecological spatial patterns around villages for ecological resilience. On the social resilience front, employing digital twin technology to build interactive digital platforms leverages villagers as disaster recipients and recorders, facilitating the preservation of traditional wisdom.]

4. Response to Comments on the Quality of English Language

Point 1:Minor editing of English language required.

Response 1:    

[We have extensively revised the manuscript. If there are any remaining issues, please point them out, and we will graciously accept and make further revisions.]

5. Additional clarifications

[We have made extensive revisions to the manuscript. If there are still issues, please indicate them, and we will humbly accept and make further modifications.]

Comments 1:

[The paper by He et al. analyzes the effective management of environmental sustainability in an ancient village in Guangdong, China. It examines the environmental, social and socio-ecological significance of the need to carry out measures for the sustainability of a given local place. Despite the fact that the work is aimed at analyzing events in a specific local place, it has a general sound and fits the range of issues covered by Sustainability. The work was carried out in the direction of the strategy formed in 1989 to protect ancient Chinese settlements and involve modern approaches to solving the identified problem, which are discussed in the Introduction. At the end of the Introduction, clear tasks are set, which were solved in the work and for which conclusions are given in the Conclusion. The materials and research methods are fully described with the necessary references, provided with tables and figures. The presentation of the results is structured into sub-chapters, provided with maps, diagrams, and tables. Figure 11 needs to be enlarged to make the labels and numbers on it clearer. In Chapter 4, it is necessary to expand the Discussion, in which it is desirable to compare the results obtained with previously published works that the authors cite in the Introduction.]

Comments 1:

[First of all, the authors must use revision mode or highlight the changes you made.]

Response 1:

[Thank you for the reviewer’s constructive feedback, which we have fully accepted and incorporated. Previously, we were unaware that revisions needed to be tracked or highlighted. In this resubmitted manuscript, we have used the track changes feature to highlight the key revisions and added comments to explain them. Please kindly review.] 

Comments 2:

[The authors responded that they fully agree with the reviewer's comment and have humbly incorporated it. However, I did not see the modification based on the comments mentioned in the previous review, such as the study only focused on traditional village water management wisdom without comparing it with modern water management practices. Please check it carefully.]

Response 2: 

[We apologize for any misunderstanding caused by our lack of clear and accurate expression. This research not only focuses on the traditional village's wisdom in rainwater management but also compares it with modern water management practices. We have referred to the case you provided in your previous review, as follows:

①Assessing the scale effect of urban vertical patterns on urban waterlogging: An empirical study in Shenzhen, 2024, 107486.

②Participatory Framework for Urban Pluvial Flood Modeling in the Digital Twin Era. 2024, 108: 105496.

Please refer to lines 53-96 and lines 536-559 of the Main Document. Additionally, to make it more convenient for the reviewer to understand the revisions without having to check the main text, the specific modifications to the original content are as follows:

lines 53-96：

Chinese scholars have long focused on flood control issues in traditional Chinese towns. Qingzhou Wu’s identification of the Eight Strategies for Flood Control in Ancient Chinese Cities has served as a foundational theory in this area [8]. Donghui Yang connected these strategies with site selection, layout, storage, drainage systems, and management principles in villages of the Pearl River Delta, exploring flood control and drainage features in this region [9]. Hongyu Zhao applied these strategies to water management in rural areas of the Loess Plateau [10]. However, since these strategies mainly focus on engineering solutions, more attention is needed on ecological approaches.

In 1973, Holling introduced the concept of resilience, defining it as "the ability of systems to buffer or absorb disturbances" [11]. Resilience theory has since evolved through three stages: engineering resilience, ecological resilience, and socio-ecological resilience [12]. Socio-ecological resilience refers to the dynamic interaction between human societies and ecological systems, emphasizing the system’s ability to adapt, learn, innovate, and transform in response to external changes [13, 14]. This perspective has gained significant attention and is now widely accepted in resilience research. At the 2002 United Nations Sustainable Development Summit, ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability - introduced the concept of resilience into disaster risk reduction, giving rise to the idea of "stormwater resilience," which is now widely applied in stormwater management studies [15]. Some researchers have begun applying resilience theory to traditional village flood management. Yuting Li, for example, developed a resilience framework incorporating cultural, technological, and material elements for village planning [16]. Minhu Zhang examined flood control and drainage characteristics in traditional villages of the Pearl River Delta at different scales, establishing a new resilience-based framework [17]. Research on traditional village stormwater management using resilience theory is increasing, with scholars creating new theoretical frameworks and focusing on qualitative research. However, studies on traditional villages from a socio-ecological resilience perspective remain scarce. Quantitative analyses, such as those using simulation tools like the Storm Water Management Model (SWMM), are common in urban studies. For instance, Huaqiu Liang conducted a simulation experiment on runoff purification facilities in mountain villages using SWMM [18]. In urban contexts, Yu Zhang used SWMM and MATLAB to develop an optimization framework that integrates gray and green infrastructure for stormwater management in Guangzhou’s Pearl River New Town [5]. Samuel Park and others proposed an interactive and public-driven flood modeling framework for urban areas [19], while Yuqin Huang employed Pearson correlation and random forest models to investigate the factors affecting flood points in urban networks, demonstrating the importance of vertical patterns in mitigating urban flooding [20]. These studies highlight the extensive use of software simulations in scientific research, particularly in urban areas. However, significant differences in rainfall, geography, and stormwater management between urban and rural areas make it difficult to directly apply these findings to villages. Research on traditional village stormwater management requires both qualitative and quantitative exploration, along with consideration for modern rural planning.

lines 536-559：

Modern stormwater management focuses on optimizing drainage systems to reduce flood risks, heavily relying on technological interventions [5, 42]. However, applying such methods directly to traditional villages could lead to environmental damage, increased costs, and the destruction of historical buildings [6].

Previous research on the water management knowledge of traditional Chinese villages has been mostly subjective qualitative analysis, relying on field surveys, interviews, and historical documents [8-10, 17]. While this approach helps to identify traditional villages with stormwater advantages and clarifies basic principles and strategies from a traditional flood control perspective, it tends to focus on engineering practices while overlooking the importance of ecological aspects. Moreover, past research lacked objective scientific methods to quantitatively assess the water management capabilities of traditional villages. This study used SWMM to not only simulate and demonstrate that Changqi Ancient Village can continue functioning during a once-in-a-century rainfall, but also to quantify its stormwater retention and flood dynamics during heavy rain. By using SWMM, this study explored the construction and simulation of stormwater management models for traditional villages, providing an analytical tool to study water management knowledge in such settings and expanding the application scope of SWMM. Furthermore, based on urban typology, this study visualized the historical evolution of Changqi Ancient Village's spatial structure, enabling a qualitative analysis of how the village achieved a coupling mechanism of socio-ecological resilience in water resource management. This contributes to a comprehensive understanding of the village's historical adaptive behavior and helps predict and replicate effective development pathways for the revival of traditional villages.]

Comments 3:

[The first few responses to the reviewer's comments were written in non-English language, which is very unprofessional in terms of an international paper.]

Response 3:

[Thank you for the reviewer’s suggestions. This time, we have engaged a professional translation and editing service to carefully polish our manuscript. The certificate of English editing will be uploaded as an appendix.]

Comments 4:

[The authors did not explore the eco-social resilience mechanism in depth. It needs to explain in more detail how this mechanism affects water management in traditional villages and how it can be borrowed and applied in modern society.]

Response 4:

[Thank you for this valuable suggestion. In our second revision, we conducted an in-depth analysis of this issue, thoroughly discussing the coupled mechanism of socio-ecological resilience.

It is important to explain that the renowned scholar Holling, who first proposed resilience theory, described the socio-ecological resilience system as undergoing a repeated cycle of succession, known as the "adaptive cycle." This means that socio-ecological resilience systems exhibit characteristics of an adaptive cycle. The water management wisdom of Changqi Ancient Village is reflected in the historical evolution of its spatial form. Based on local records and field interviews, and using urban typology as a foundation, we have visually represented the four phases that Changqi Ancient Village went through: growth, stability, decline, and revival.

Finally, we concluded that, at the socio-ecological resilience level, the socio-ecological resilience system of traditional villages exhibits the characteristics of an adaptive cycle. The main factors influencing the ecological spatial pattern of Changqi Ancient Village are its geographical environment and industrial economy, while the positive interaction between nature and humans ensures the dynamic and balanced development of the system. By conducting a dynamic observation and qualitative analysis of Changqi's water management wisdom, we were able to fully explore how traditional villages like Changqi achieve the coupling mechanism of socio-ecological resilience. This provides a multi-dimensional understanding of Changqi’s historical evolutionary processes and helps predict and leverage the cyclical mechanisms and patterns for the effective revitalization of traditional villages like Changqi.

Please refer to lines 397-512 of the Main Document. Additionally, to make it easier for the reviewer to understand the revisions without checking the main text, the specific modifications to the original content are as follows:

3.3. Socio-Ecological Resilience: Adaptive Cycle

Most socio-ecological resilience systems undergo a repetitive cycle of development, known as the "adaptive cycle" [40]. Throughout its history, Changqi Ancient Village has experienced four stages: growth, stability, decline, and revival (Table 10). These stages are primarily reflected in the evolution of the village's spatial structure, which aligns with the analysis of dynamic mechanisms in socio-ecological resilience systems as discussed by the Resilience Alliance, an international academic organization led by Holling [41].

Table 10. Analysis of Spatial Patterns in Changqi Ancient Village during the Four Phases of Growth, Stability, Decline, and Revival

Adaptive Cycle Stages	Village Spatial Layout	Functional Organization Diagram	Evolution Diagram Reconstruction
Growth Phase
Stable Phase
Decline Phase
Revival Phase

(1) Growth Phase

During the growth phase, the characteristics of flood management in traditional villages were primarily reflected in site selection and resource utilization. Traditional villages needed to meet specific production and living needs, such as agriculture and livestock farming, which inherently required reliance on external natural environments and resources. As a result, villagers placed great emphasis on the selection of water resources and terrain when establishing a village. In the case of Changqi Village, the two key factors considered by the original settlers were the water resources provided by the Jiuqu River in front of the village and the elevated terrain of the surrounding hills. These two elements became the core foundation of the village, creating a natural sense of cohesion and unity during its development.

In the early stages of the village’s establishment, the ancestors of Changqi Village formed initial flood management strategies by observing the natural environment. The layout of the village was designed along the water system to ensure the daily production and living water needs were met. Residences were built on higher ground to reduce the impact of floods, while lower-lying areas were used as farmland and ponds, serving as functional elements for flood regulation. This spatial planning, based on the principles of "relying on the mountains and being adjacent to water," allowed the village to effectively mitigate flood risks during the growth phase, minimizing the impact of natural disasters on both the villagers’ lives and their means of production. As the resident population increased, the internal spatial structure of the village became more developed, and the street and transportation systems gradually matured, naturally forming a drainage system over time.

The flood management characteristics during the growth phase were primarily based on the dependence on and rational utilization of the natural environments. Through strategic village site selection, terrain use, and the establishment of a preliminary drainage system, Changqi Village successfully built an early flood defense system. While the management methods were relatively simple, this harmonious relationship with nature laid the foundation for the village’s future development and flood resilience, setting the direction for flood management in the subsequent stages.

(2) Stability Phase

After the rapid development phase, where the village expanded outward from its core groups, Changqi Village’s adaptive cycle entered a prolonged stable phase.

In this phase, the village’s overall spatial structure had essentially taken shape, particularly in terms of its flood-resistant characteristics during the rainy and flood seasons. The layout of the streets and alleys not only considered daily transportation convenience but also cleverly integrated drainage and flood prevention needs, forming a comb-like layout that aligned with the natural terrain. The drainage system was built along the streets and alleys, serving as a critical channel for rapid water discharge during flood seasons, ensuring that rainwater could quickly drain into the Jiuqu River and prevent widespread flooding. This layout not only enhanced the village’s self-regulation during the rainy season but also maintained its functionality through regular maintenance and cleaning by the villagers. Public spaces, such as ancestral halls, also served as temporary shelters during floods, and villagers would often gather there for post-disaster discussions to determine repair measures and future flood prevention plans. Overall, the coordination between the spatial layout and the drainage system of Changqi Village provided strong protective and recovery capabilities during the rainy and flood seasons, making this a key factor in the village’s long-term sustainability during the stable phase.

(3) Decline Phase

During the decline phase, Changqi Village’s adaptive cycle system gradually encountered difficulties, as the village’s internal functions became increasingly rigid and incapable of adapting to rapidly changing modern environments. With the accelerated pace of urbanization, large numbers of young workers migrated to cities, exacerbating the phenomenon of village hollowing. The demographic structure of the village became increasingly skewed toward the elderly and the very young. The lack of awareness and preparedness for flood risks, combined with the failure to effectively pass down flood safety knowledge and management practices, directly impacted the operation of the village’s flood management infrastructure. For example, drainage ditches became clogged and were left uncleared, farmland shrank, and the once-maintained dike-pond system fell into disrepair, further weakening the village’s flood resilience.

The decline phase not only marked the deterioration of the village’s internal functions but also reflected a mismatch between external environmental changes and the village’s adaptive mechanisms. Aging infrastructure and outdated management systems made it difficult for the village to cope with new challenges, plunging the adaptive cycle into a low point. However, this phase did not signify the end of the village. Instead, it presented an opportunity for revival, as the core functions of the traditional village remained intact, awaiting reactivation and transformation to meet new developmental needs.

(4) Revival Phase

According to the adaptive cycle theory, not all elements contributing to the development of a village disappear simultaneously during the decline phase. The traditional village’s flood management system can survive and evolve through functional transformation and the reactivation of dormant dynamics, entering either a new adaptive cycle or repeating a previous one. From the late decline phase to the early reconstruction phase, the injection of new driving forces, productivity, or production relations can reactivate original spatial functions, leading to adjustments and transformations in the traditional village. This enables the village to meet new production and living requirements and innovate its industrial functions, ultimately driving the revival of the village and reactivating its flood management system.

In December 2016, Changqi Village was successfully listed in the fourth batch of China's Traditional Villages Directory. As the population gradually returned, Changqi Village’s flood management system received new impetus. The increase in population not only brought back labor but also injected more resources and attention into the village’s flood management revival. The rising demand for living and production prompted the urgent repair and renovation of the village’s infrastructure. Particularly, within the context of the growing eco-tourism and cultural tourism industries, the village’s drainage and dike-pond systems, as part of its cultural and ecological landscape, garnered more attention and protection. These traditional flood management systems were reactivated to meet the needs of the new population’s structure and functional demands, breathing new life into systems that had previously become outdated or abandoned.

At the same time, the diverse needs of the returning population drove the innovation and transformation of the village’s spatial functions. The younger generation, more receptive to modern flood management concepts, integrated traditional knowledge with contemporary techniques, gradually forming a water management model that meets the needs of the present day. This integration not only enhanced the village’s overall flood resilience but also created new economic opportunities by linking flood management with industrial development.

In summary, the returning population provided Changqi Village’s flood management revival with multiple forms of support—human resources, capital, and new ideas. By combining traditional and modern management practices, the village’s flood management system not only recovered but also laid a solid foundation for future sustainable development. The revival phase marks the village’s entry into a new growth phase in its adaptive cycle, addressing current flood challenges while ensuring the village’s long-term prosperity and achieving true sustainability.

Comments 5: 

[This study lacks dynamic observation and long-term analysis of the wisdom of traditional village water management in historical changes. This static research method cannot fully reveal the evolution and development process of the wisdom of traditional village water management.]

Response 5:

[Thank you for this valuable suggestion. The dynamic focus and long-term analysis of the water management practices during the historical transitions of Changqi Ancient Village are indeed of significant importance in explaining the evolution and development of traditional villages' water management knowledge.

We have reviewed a large body of literature on flood resilience and found that the in-depth exploration of the socio-ecological resilience coupling mechanism is closely related to the historical analysis of traditional villages' water management knowledge. Therefore, we have used this content specifically to explain the socio-ecological resilience coupling mechanism of Changqi Ancient Village. The detailed response is nearly identical to the previous issue and will not be repeated here.]

Comments 6: 

Due to the limitations of the above methods and data collection, the conclusions of this study have problems with universality. In particular, the conclusions based on Changqi Ancient Village are difficult to generalize to other traditional villages or modern urban planning.

Response 6:

[Thank you for this valuable feedback. Indeed, this study faced some challenges in research methodology and data collection, and certain limitations exist. The study focuses primarily on a single village, which may not be sufficient to generalize the water management knowledge of all traditional villages in the Lingnan region, nor can it be fully applied to the protection of other traditional villages or modern urban planning.

Regarding this suggestion, the primary aim of this study is to offer a qualitative-quantitative research method, making the research more scientific and comprehensive. First, we used SWMM to quantitatively demonstrate whether the village possesses water management knowledge, and with the help of quantitative data, we analyzed the village’s specific performance in ecological resilience. Then, since social resilience cannot be quantitatively analyzed, we combined field surveys and interviews with residents to examine how traditional villages manage water in terms of social resilience. Lastly, from a historical perspective, we explored how the village achieves a socio-ecological resilience coupling mechanism, which helps to accurately predict and replicate cyclical evolutionary mechanisms and patterns, thus providing a foundation for the future reconstruction and development planning of traditional villages.

This suggestion has already been incorporated into the limitations section of the article. In the future, we can increase the sample size of research subjects to summarize the water management knowledge of traditional villages in the Lingnan region and extend this knowledge to the protection, planning, and construction of other traditional villages. Additionally, in this study, the SWMM modeling and simulation data were primarily derived from empirical values, lacking real-world data. Although this approach fits within the parameter calibration range of the model, the simulation results are consistent with real-world data only under specific conditions. In the future, the installation of rain gauge systems and sensors can help calibrate the empirical parameters of the study area, making the simulation results more accurate.

Please refer to lines 575-588 of the Main Document. Additionally, to make it easier for the reviewer to understand the revisions without checking the main text, the specific modifications to the original content are as follows:

4.3. Study Limitations

This study demonstrates the water management knowledge of traditional villages like Changqi in the Lingnan region and analyzes how socio-ecological resilience was achieved throughout its historical evolution. The goal is to draw attention to the water management knowledge of traditional villages and their implications for modern rural planning. However, since this study focuses on a single case, it may not fully represent the water management knowledge of all traditional villages in the Lingnan region. Future research could expand the sample size to summarize regional water management knowledge and apply these insights to the protection and development of other traditional villages. Additionally, the SWMM model and simulations used in this study were based on estimated data, lacking real-world measurements. While the parameters fit within the model's calibration range, the simulation results are only approximations of actual conditions. Future research could use rain gauges and sensors in the study area to calibrate the model with real data, improving the accuracy of the simulation results.]

Comments 7: 

[Both the organization and language usage need to be largely improved. In particular, there are still typos and awkward sentences in the manuscript. A proof reading by a native English speaker needs to be conducted. In this regard, the authors must provide the certificates of English editing.]

Response 7:

[Thank you for this suggestion. We have engaged a professional English editing service to thoroughly polish and correct the manuscript! Additionally, we will provide a certificate from the official editing service in the appendix for your review. Should there be any further issues, we would greatly appreciate your valuable feedback once again. Our team sincerely hopes to publish this paper in the Sustainability journal!]

4. Response to Comments on the Quality of English Language

Point 1:Extensive editing of English language required.

Response 1:    

[Thank you for this suggestion. We have engaged a professional English editing service to thoroughly polish and correct the manuscript. Additionally, we will provide a certificate from the official editing service in the appendix for your review.]

5. Additional clarifications

[我们对手稿进行了大量修改。如果还有其他问题，我们恳请您指出它们，我们将尽最大努力解决它们。此外，我们非常重视传统的乡村水资源管理知识，这与可持续发展期刊的重点密切相关。我们已经成功地为这项研究获得了项目资金，我们真诚地希望今年能在《可持续发展》上发表这篇论文！]