Climate issues have affected the sustainable development of global human settlements, and carbon, an essential factor affecting climate change, has become a hotspot of academic concern. This paper analyzes the research characteristics, stages and planning of carbon-oriented climate change response research in human settlements based on the literature related to research on carbon-oriented human settlements for climate change, hereinafter referred to as RCHSCC, included in the Web of Science core database since 1991, using CiteSpace and VOSviewer bibliometric software. Based on the analysis of the literature and discipline distribution, research hotspots and priorities, this paper classifies the RCHSCC into four stages: early exploration, relationship building, integrated development and deepening collaboration. Based on keyword clustering, annual overlap and keyword emergence analysis, this paper predicts that future research will have three major trends regarding climate risk management, carbon technology enhancement and urban safety and resilience research. The study aims to analyze the distribution characteristics and evolution of research on carbon-oriented human settlements for climate change from 1991 to 2022. The RCHSCC predicts three major trends in the future—climate risk management, carbon technology upgrading and urban security and resilience—and offers three recommendations for governments and planners in terms of climate change adaptation and low-carbon and efficient development in human settlements.

During the development of rural settlements, the loss of distinctive rural characteristics, caused by the contradiction between urban expansion and the ideal of pastoralism, has attracted widespread attention from researchers worldwide. To effectively understand the development and trends of the Research of Features and Characteristics of Rural Settlements (abbreviated as RFCRS), this paper uses the knowledge mapping software CiteSpace to conduct co-citation analysis, research collaboration analysis, keyword clustering, and keyword co-occurrence. The study analyzes the basic concepts, the literature distribution characteristics, research clusters, key issues, and development trends of RFCRS. The research found that the current key issues in RFCRS include “Eco-logical services and environmental protection of rural settlements”, “Sustainable planning and architectural design issues of rural settlements”, and “Human settlement environment and service facility construction of rural settlements”. This paper predicts that future RFCRS research trends will focus on the study of landscape features and characteristics based on ecology, climate, and aesthetics; study of architectural features and characteristics based on characteristic factors and hierarchical structure; and research on rural revitalization based on sustainable development principles. The paper also offers four priority research suggestions for researchers from different disciplines.

The study of Features and Characteristics of Mountainous Rural Settlements (RFCMRS) is a key factor in the development of rural settlements during the urbanization process. Mountainous rural settlements, due to their unique mountainous conditions, climate, living environments, and regional culture, are among the important subjects of research for governments and the academic community worldwide. This paper, utilizing the knowledge mapping software CiteSpace (6.2.R3) for co-citation and collaboration analysis, keyword clustering, keyword time zoning, and keyword emergence, analyzes the research trajectory, key issues, and future trends of RFCMRSs. The study finds that current RFCMRS research can be categorized into the following three key issues: “implications of climate change: risks and adaptive responses”, “regional cultural heritage and economic development”, and “ecological conservation and fostering harmonious symbiosis”. Future research will focus on the following three development trends: “risk response based on climate resilience and ecological protection”, “factors of features and characteristics based on regional culture and landscape configurations”, and “human settlements based on low-carbon objectives and sustainable development principles”. Lastly, the paper proposes the following three future research suggestions: “improving the evaluation system for features and characteristics of mountainous rural settlements”, “deepening the study on the evolutionary phenomenon and mechanism for features and characteristics of mountainous rural settlements”, and “exploring the design methods for features and characteristics of mountainous rural settlements based on the concept of sustainable development”.

Climate change and urbanization intersect with escalating danger. Urban areas significantly contribute to climate change, which, in turn, poses severe threats to urban settings. The frequency and intensity of extreme events, like flooding and heat, are rising, with the need to enhance urban climate resilience (UCR) becoming more immediate. Scholarship tends to underrepresent general climate resilience in favor of specific hazards. This research seeks to contribute to the literature by exploring the case of Shanghai, China, discovering the mechanisms and characteristics of UCR governance, and examining how these outcomes are formed from a comparative gesture. The findings indicate that in Shanghai, 36.8% and 26.8% of climate resilience governance strategies are reflected in regional management and infrastructure construction led by the Water Affairs Bureau and the Meteorological Bureau. Furthermore, 30.6% of the strategies relate to the Water Affairs Bureau, showcasing a robust and integrated flood response. Meanwhile, 15.7% involve the Meteorological Bureau, boosting responses to high temperatures with better monitoring and early warning for increased flexibility and efficiency. Distinct governance processes for floods and extreme heat mirror these hazards’ inherent characteristics and societal perceptions. With strong government willingness and support, Shanghai has rapidly enhanced its flood resilience capabilities within a brief timeframe. Conversely, addressing the emerging risk of extreme heat is still in the early stages of evaluation, due to the lack of a clear disaster-bearing system and identified responsible agents. This research suggests that the future of climate resilience governance in Shanghai may emphasize identifying the characteristics of critical climate-related risks, expanding social autonomy through grassroots self-governance, procuring economic backing from the central government, and applying the tool of urban spatial planning.

With the significant increase in global ageing and its derivative risks, governments and academic communities have been widely concerned with research on facilities of combined medical and nursing care for the elderly (FCMNCE). Using Citespace and VOSviewer bibliometric software, in this paper, we explore the evolutionary phases, hotspots, and trends in research on FCMNCE. First, the concept and connotation of FCMNCE are clarified. Secondly, based on a bibliometric analysis of the number of annual publications, disciplinary distribution, publication sources, and country distribution, we classify research on FCMNCE into four phases: the exploratory phase of influencing factors, the constructive phase of combined medical and nursing care patterns, the improvement phase of life quality, and the synergistic development phase of science and technology. Thirdly, based on a bibliometric analysis of keyword clustering, annual overlap, and burst keywords, the research hotspots of FCMNCE are identified. Finally, we predicts that future research on FCMNCE will be characterized by the trends of smart elderly facilities, smart medical services, and public health risks. Our conclusion can help researchers to understand the research status and development trends of FCMNCE and select future research directions based on their disciplinary background.

Agriculture is one of the foundations of China’s national economy. The rural population is more than half of China’s total population. However, rural domestic wastewater treatment has not been solved, mostly household wastewater untreated directly discharged into nearby surface water bodies. With the development of rural economy, domestic wastewater treatment has become a serious problem in rural sustainable development in China. Emission characteristics and status of rural domestic wastewater treatment in China were presented in this paper. On this basis, several rural wastewater treatment technologies commonly used were reviewed in China rural area, including septic tanks, land treatment system, methane-generating pit, stabilization lagoon and constructed wetland. The current problems and future development in rural domestic wastewater treatment were discussed, and some suggestions proposed. On the one hand, new integrated technology should be actively developed in rural domestic wastewater. On the other hand, the management of rural domestic wastewater should be strengthened. Thus, effective protection will be provided for the sustainable development of rural areas in China.