Can Multiple Livelihood Interventions Improve Livelihood Resilience of Out-of-poverty Farmers in Mountain Areas?A Case Study of Longnan Mountain Area,China

Clarifying the impact of livelihood interventions on the livelihood resilience of farmers in undeveloped mountain areas can not only optimize interventions,but also provide experiential support for global poverty alleviation.To analyze the impact of multiple livelihood interventions on livelihood resilience,we constructed an analytical framework and analyzed the enjoyment of livelihood interventions and the heterogeneity of livelihood resilience among out-of-poverty farmers in the Longnan mountain areas,China.Then,we studied the impact of intervention intensity on livelihood resilience through the multiple linear regression model.The results revealed that:1)the livelihood interventions enjoyed by out-of-poverty farmer in mountain areas were multiple.The proportion of farmers enjoyed diversified livelihood interventions was in descending order of high mountain areas,semi-mountain area and Chuanba valley areas.2)The overall livelihood resilience of farmers in Longnan mountain areas was generally low,with an average of 0.299.There were significant differences in the livelihood resilience of farmers across different geographic areas in the study area and types of interventions.3)The effects of industry interventions,employment interventions and education interventions were significant.The endogenous power of farmers not only had a significant positive effect on livelihood resilience,but also positively moderated the impact of the intensity of interventions on livelihood resilience.In addition,the household dependency ratio and the average altitude of the village area had a significant negative impact on their livelihood resilience.

Drivers of Residents’Livelihood Resilience in Sanjiangyuan National Park,China:From PLS-SEM and fs/QCA

This study investigates the effects of tourism development perception,adaptive capacity,and transformation capacity on the residents’livelihood resilience in a national park.Using the Yellow River Source Park in Sanjiangyuan National Park,China as a case study,this study simultaneously used the partial least squares structural equation model(PLS-SEM)and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis(fs/QCA)to explore the linear and nonlinear dynamic impacts among the variables.PLS-SEM analysis revealed that adaptive capacity and transformation capacity positively affect livelihood resilience;tourism development perception negatively affects livelihood resilience but positively affects adaptive capacity and transformation capacity.Tourism development perception and adaptive capacity can positively influence livelihood resilience through transformation capacity.The fs/QCA revealed that simple antecedent variables do not constitute a necessary condition for promoting residents'high livelihood resilience,which depends on the conditions combined with another element.The analysis identified two combination paths of high livelihood resilience and three combination paths of low livelihood resilience,where adaptive and transformation capacity are essential for triggering high livelihood resilience,and tourism development perception is a significant driver of low livelihood resilience.

A Framework for Disaster Vulnerability in a Small Island in the Southwest Pacific: A Case Study of Emae Island, Vanuatu

The societal costs of disasters around the world are continuing to increase and Pacific Island countries are considered some of the most vulnerable. This is primarily due to a combination of high hazard exposure coupled with a range of social, economic, physical, and political vulnerabilities. This article contributes to the growing body of work that aims to understand the causal factors of disaster vulnerability, but with a specific focus on small island developing states. The article first develops a framework for understanding disaster vulnerability, drawing on extensive literature and the well-established Methods for the Improvement of Vulnerability in Europe(MOVE)framework, and second, applies this adapted framework using empirically-derived data from fieldwork on Emae Island, Vanuatu to provide a working understanding of the causal elements of disaster vulnerability. Drawn from a significant body of scholarship at the time, the MOVE framework was primarily developed as a heuristic tool in which disaster vulnerability is considered to be a function of exposure, susceptibility(socially, economically, physically, culturally, environmentally, institutionally), and a lack of resilience. We posit that this adapted framework for small islands should also include historical susceptibility,and we prefer livelihood resilience(as capabilities, social capital, knowledge, participation, and human rights) over lack of resilience. We maintain that understanding disaster vulnerability holistically, which is inclusive of both strengths and drawbacks, is crucial to ensure that limited resources can target the causal factors that produce vulnerability and help safeguard and improve livelihoods in both the short and long term.

Tropical dry forest dynamics in the context of climate change:syntheses of drivers,gaps,and management perspectives

This review attempts to synthesize the available literature on tropical dry forests and their dynamics in the context of climate change and thereby identifies possible gaps and priority areas for further research and management endeavors.Tropical dry forests(TDFs)occur in dryland environments,which are characterized by prolonged periods of dry months.They experience distinct seasonality and high inter-annual variability in climatic variables,particularly rainfall.Despite the enormous ecological and livelihood importance of TDFs,these forests are highly threatened by global changes.So far,they have received far less attention from research and development interventions as compared to the humid tropical forests.Their significance is still overlooked in many countries’national policies.Current modeling frameworks show that drought,precipitation,and temperature are highlighted as strong drivers of tree growth and/or mortality in these forests.Well-valued and sustainably managed TDFs have the potential to contribute to climate change adaptation and mitigation,buffer against erosion and desertification,and contribute to economic development,food security,and poverty alleviation.TDFs suffer notable disregard from research and development strategies.Thus,greater awareness and appropriate policies and investments are needed at various levels to counteract the increasing vulnerability of people,forest ecosystems,and species living in these fragile ecosystems.Further research is also needed to generate knowledge on the status and significances of TDFs and their responses in the face of the changing climate so as to bring their sustainable management to the attention of policymakers and managers.