Classification of the Relationship between Household Welfare and Ecosystem Reliance in the Miyun Reservoir Watershed, China

Illuminating sustainable household well-being and natural resource dependence in the case of disaster resettlement in rural China

In order to transform rural development, the implementation of disaster resettlement projects should not only reduce environmental hazards, but also improve the sustainability of natural resources and household well-being. This article assesses sustainable household well-being (SHWB) and natural resource dependence using a quantitative survey of rural China. It identifies four classes of relationship between SHWB and natural resource dependence and explores the impact of disaster resettlement on these classes. The result shows that rural households that participate in disaster resettlement as well as in voluntary relocation, centralized relocation, and new-stage relocation are more likely to achieve "high well-being and low dependence." However, the overall SHWB level of the relocated households is lower than that of the non-relocated households, and disaster resettlement also has a significant positive impact on the "low well-being and low dependence" class. It is recommended that governments implement measures to address these issues. The findings in this article could shed light on the impact of resettlement programs on rural households elsewhere.

Livelihood Sustainability of Herder Households in North Tibet, China

The livelihood sustainability of rural residents has attracted a great deal of attention across the globe, especially in remote mountain areas. In this study, we interviewed 696 householders who were randomly selected from ‘Changtang’ (also called ‘North Tibet’), Tibetan Autonomous Region, China. Under the sustainable livelihood index (SLI) framework, we evaluated the livelihood sustainability of herder households and examined the differences between low- and high-sustainability groups. Our findings revealed the following: (1) The livelihood sustainability of all herder households was generally low; low-sustainability households accounted for 87.07% of the samples. (2) Social, human, and physical capitals accounted for 81.6% of the variance in the SLI of herder households. Less physical capital was the main reason for a lower SLI. (3) Compared with high-SLI households, low-SLI families were characterized by having a higher dependency on natural resources, fewer fixed assets, weaker personal ability, and less participation in social organizations. Moreover, low-sustainability households were more vulnerable to medical expenses. Our study suggests that policymakers should pay closer attention to skills training, promote livelihood diversification, and strengthen social capital security. These actions are recommended for global poverty reduction and to promote the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

InVEST Model-Based Spatiotemporal Analysis of Water Supply Services in the Zhangcheng District

The Zhangcheng District is critically responsible for protecting water resources, preserving sand sources, and improving the ecological environment in Beijing. Quantitative evaluation and research on the ecosystem water supply services in this area are beneficial for developing conservation planning and establishing ecological compensation mechanisms in water conservation areas. In this paper, based on the land use, meteorological, soil, and field observation data of the research area, the InVEST water yield model is used to estimate the water supply of the ecosystem in the Zhangcheng District. The model quantitatively analyzes the spatiotemporal distribution characteristics of water supply services in the basin and the influence of different topographic factors. The results show that the average supply of ecosystem water in the Zhangcheng District is approximately 45 mm, and there is a degree of spatial heterogeneity. The total water supply in the Zhangcheng District is relatively small. The water resource supply in the southwest is relatively small, the rainfall in mountainous forest areas in the southeast is high, its water supply is higher, and the supply of forest land water is relatively high. The high-value areas are mainly distributed at 1500 to 3500 m and 15°~40°; the water supply on the sunny slope is greater than that on the shady slope. With the increase in altitude and slope, the water supply in the basin tends to increase first and then decrease.

Does China’s Anti-Poverty Relocation and Settlement Program Benefit Ecosystem Services: Evidence from a Household Perspective

To assess whether and to what extent the anti-poverty relocation and settlement program (APRSP) in China will be able to resolve the development dilemma of ecosystem conservation and human wellbeing, it is important to study the effects of policy on rural households in terms of the income generation from ecosystem services (ES). We constructed an index of dependence on ecosystem services (IDES) to evaluate the dependence of households’ net income generation on ecosystem services. Using data collected from South Shaanxi Province, we examined the effects of the relocation program on rural households’ IDES. We find that this relocation may benefit the ecosystem by significantly decreasing participants’ IDES. Relocation households have higher net incomes than non-relocation households from total ecosystem services, provisioning services, regulating services, and cultural services as well as socio-economic activities. There are significant differences in IDES between groups with different relocation and resettlement characteristics. The anti-poverty relocation program optimized the rural households’ income structure by increasing the proportion of income from socio-economic activities while reducing the proportion of income from ecosystem services. This study provides new evidence for evaluating eco-conservation and development policies by linking ecosystem services and human well-being at a micro scale. We also address the policy implications of our analysis for anti-poverty relocation programs.