Zhubugang, located in Hunan Province, is the core agricultural area of the Xiangjiang alluvial plain, benefiting from its fertile soil and abundant water resources. However, the expansion of heavy industry and intensive agricultural production have caused chaos in the region. Heavy metals such as cadmium, arsenic, and lead—released by active chemical and metallurgical activities—continue to infiltrate soil and water bodies. Additionally, long-term excessive use of phosphorus-containing fertilisers leads to the accumulation of associated heavy metals in cultivated land, further aggravating the soil and water pollution by heavy metals.

The superposition of the two causes the systematic decline of water and soil productivity, triggering a series of non-renewable vicious cycle collapses, seriously threatening the ecological security and health of residents in the region.

Analysis of the pollution process reveals that heavy metal pollution in the region presents a dynamic fluidity, namely "source-flow-convergence," but the traditional static governance model is difficult to effectively deal with. Therefore, this design creatively proposes a dynamic "self-blocking (source)-self-purification (flow)-self-circulation (convergence)" research framework based on the concept of nature-based solutions (NBS). Under this, a four-layer dynamic circulation network system for heavy metal pollution self-rescue is constructed to convert heavy metals into usable resources and drive sustainability of restoration. Through a self-sufficient multi-layered structured circulation system of self-purification of plants and crops, we reshape the healthy connection between land and organisms and achieve the synergy of environmental restoration, agricultural production and community resilience.

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Academic Supervisor: Prof. Laurent Gutierrez and Ms Adriana Caplova