Climate events pose major challenges to food production and the livelihoods of rural inhabitants in northern Laos, where upland rice using swidden production is an important crop. The onset of the rainy season in this...Climate events pose major challenges to food production and the livelihoods of rural inhabitants in northern Laos, where upland rice using swidden production is an important crop. The onset of the rainy season in this area is one such climate event, and it has occurred earlier and with less regularity in recent years. Not all households are able to cope with these changes. This study examines the ability of local farmers to cope with rice insufficiency. This investigation also clarifies household strategies in dealing with the climate event. We randomly interviewed 63 of 95 household heads, and performed a paired sample t test to examine the significance of differences in three household groups between the 2010 normal climate and the 2011 climate event. The groups were categorized according to rice selfsufficiency in 2011: groups I are households with rice self-sufficiency, group II are those facing a rice shortage of up to 3 months, and group III are those with insufficient rice for over 3 months. We also conducted a one-way ANOVA to examine the significance of differences in livelihood strategies among the three groups. We found that the household labor force was the most important factor in enhancing the villagers' ability to deal with the climate event and that the level of impact of that event shaped their coping strategies. Households with substantial labor force had more options for coping strategies than those with smaller ones. The villagers faced different levels of impact and adopted differentcoping strategies accordingly. Non-timber forest product collection was the principle livelihood strategy in response to non-climate factors such as education, access to health services, provision of equipment and clothing, and overcoming the impact of the climate event. Households heavily affected by the early rainy season onset tended to engage in intensive activities such as off-farm activity and outside work, rather than their major livelihood activities in the village(upland crop and livestock production).展开更多
The sustained growth of Chinese economy in the new century is a silver lining in the continuouslydepressed global economy. Meanwhile, the rapid development of Chinese economy is still confronted withconstraints from d...The sustained growth of Chinese economy in the new century is a silver lining in the continuouslydepressed global economy. Meanwhile, the rapid development of Chinese economy is still confronted withconstraints from deteriorating environment and rural poverty issues. It has become a significant policyoption in maintaining high speed, efficiency and sound development of Chinese economy to rehabilitateforest resources, improve ecological conditions, increase farmers income and get on a sustainable roadfeaturing coordinated development of population, resources and environment. The Grain for Green Program,as a CDM activity of Chinese style, launched on trial in 1999 and implemented in 2002 across the country,is the biggest land use transition, watershed management and poverty alleviation program involving thelargest population in Chinese history and across the globe. It covers 25 provinces/regions/cities and gets over1 600 counties, 15 million households and 60 million farmers were involved. Hence the Grain for Tree policyhas a significant bearing on ecological protection and farmers poverty alleviation in the soil and watererosion-prone region. A review and assessment of the background, essentials, effects, problems and trend ofthe Grain for Tree policy is of great significance for both China and the other developing countries in theworld in their efforts to combat the deteriorating environment and alleviate poverty.展开更多
基金funded by Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (Kakenhi), Scientific Research (A)
文摘Climate events pose major challenges to food production and the livelihoods of rural inhabitants in northern Laos, where upland rice using swidden production is an important crop. The onset of the rainy season in this area is one such climate event, and it has occurred earlier and with less regularity in recent years. Not all households are able to cope with these changes. This study examines the ability of local farmers to cope with rice insufficiency. This investigation also clarifies household strategies in dealing with the climate event. We randomly interviewed 63 of 95 household heads, and performed a paired sample t test to examine the significance of differences in three household groups between the 2010 normal climate and the 2011 climate event. The groups were categorized according to rice selfsufficiency in 2011: groups I are households with rice self-sufficiency, group II are those facing a rice shortage of up to 3 months, and group III are those with insufficient rice for over 3 months. We also conducted a one-way ANOVA to examine the significance of differences in livelihood strategies among the three groups. We found that the household labor force was the most important factor in enhancing the villagers' ability to deal with the climate event and that the level of impact of that event shaped their coping strategies. Households with substantial labor force had more options for coping strategies than those with smaller ones. The villagers faced different levels of impact and adopted differentcoping strategies accordingly. Non-timber forest product collection was the principle livelihood strategy in response to non-climate factors such as education, access to health services, provision of equipment and clothing, and overcoming the impact of the climate event. Households heavily affected by the early rainy season onset tended to engage in intensive activities such as off-farm activity and outside work, rather than their major livelihood activities in the village(upland crop and livestock production).
文摘The sustained growth of Chinese economy in the new century is a silver lining in the continuouslydepressed global economy. Meanwhile, the rapid development of Chinese economy is still confronted withconstraints from deteriorating environment and rural poverty issues. It has become a significant policyoption in maintaining high speed, efficiency and sound development of Chinese economy to rehabilitateforest resources, improve ecological conditions, increase farmers income and get on a sustainable roadfeaturing coordinated development of population, resources and environment. The Grain for Green Program,as a CDM activity of Chinese style, launched on trial in 1999 and implemented in 2002 across the country,is the biggest land use transition, watershed management and poverty alleviation program involving thelargest population in Chinese history and across the globe. It covers 25 provinces/regions/cities and gets over1 600 counties, 15 million households and 60 million farmers were involved. Hence the Grain for Tree policyhas a significant bearing on ecological protection and farmers poverty alleviation in the soil and watererosion-prone region. A review and assessment of the background, essentials, effects, problems and trend ofthe Grain for Tree policy is of great significance for both China and the other developing countries in theworld in their efforts to combat the deteriorating environment and alleviate poverty.
