Relationship analysis between livelihood assets and livelihood strategies:A Heihe River Basin example

The security and quality of the livelihood of farmers is of paramount concern in rural areas of China. Livelihood stability would force the related polity to act coordinately while eradicating poverty and promoting resource sustainability. For this study, the livelihood approach was used as a framework of analysis that is based upon Sustainable Livelihoods Framework, the core of which is livelihood assets. Livelihood capitals provide substantial contributions to the well-being of numerous rural dwellers. However, the level and degree of reliance on livelihood capital differ across households. Factors that contribute to the economic reliance of households on a particular economic activity in general and on livelihood capital in particular may vary depending upon the type of resource endowment, household demographic, and economic characteristic as well as exoge- nous factors such as markets, prices, policies, and technologies. This study identifies factors that influence a household＇s live- lihood strategy choice with a particular focus on livelihood assets. The study applies a preliminary investigation concerning the relationship between livelihood assets and livelihood strategies, that is, the allocation of assets. Environmentally augmented household livelihood assets were collected from 300 sample households within the Heihe River Basin. Results show that physical assets possess a maximum value （0.609） for farmers and human assets possess a relatively high value （0.516） fol- lowed by social assets （0.354）. Besides, financial and natural assets possess relatively low values （0.286 and 0.241, respec- tively）. An increment of one unit should reduce the occurrence of choosing non-agricultural activities for natural capital while an increment of one unit should increase the occurrence of choosing non-agricultural activities for financial capital, while other variables remain constant. Governments, therefore, should enhance funding and technological support to achieve livelihood diversity and strengthen the facility of farmers by way of establishing relevant polity. It would enable farmers and provide themselves with the ability and asset reserves to transition from agricultural production to secondary and tertiary industries in order to improve the livelihood of farmers overall.

Actors’ Power, Livelihood Assets and Participatory Forestry in Bangladesh: Evidence from the Sal Forests Area

Decentralize in forest management policies towards more people-oriented approaches has become major policy trends in many of the world’s developing countries during the last decade. However, the power of important actors to misuse the participatory forestry (PF) approach for their self-interests has been stated as a main problem to success. So, this study attempted to identify the most powerful actors and the extent at which they influence the outcomes of PF, and also to measure the impact of PF on livelihood assets of participants. The empirical data were collected from the well-established PF programs at Madhupur Sal forests area of Bangladesh. The results showed that the forest department (FD) proved itself as the most powerful and influential actor in every element of power analysis in PF. Regarding to livelihood analysis, the results revealed that the overall value of participants’ livelihood assets was 0.85 and it was significantly differed from the non-participants value of 0.66. However, the development of human, physical and financial assets was not indicating a decent improvement like as natural and social assets of participants. So, it is necessary to pay more attention to boost up participants’ human and financial assets through intensive training and adopting proper tree-crop production techniques, and also ensuring alternative livelihoods approaches to the local people. In addition, the local government will need to pay more emphasis on constructing village roads and infrastructure so as to enhance physical assets of the local people. Finally, the study would recommend promoting PF with apposite government facilities and also empowering local participants in order to balance the power among different actors, and this will facilitate the participants in governing all of their development activities efficiently.

Impact of farmer households＇ livelihood assets on their options of economic compensation patterns for cultivated land protection

With rapid urbanization and the socio-economic transformation, cultivated land protection has gradually become a major concern in China. The economic compensation plays a crucial role in promoting cultivated land protection and improving the utilization ratio of cultivated land. Farmer household＇s satisfaction has a great influence on the effectiveness of compensation. Therefore, households＇ willingness to select the economic compensation pattern for cultivated land protection has been considered and re-examined. By employing Participatory Rural Appraisal method （PRA）, 3 villages and 392 households were investigated and sampled in mesa and hilly areas of Chongqing. Then a quantitative analysis framework of household livelihood hexagon has been developed to quantify the livelihood assets of differ- ent farmer households. Finally, the Gray Relation Model and Probit Regression Model have been employed to explore the coupling relationship between the household livelihood assets and their compensation pattern options. The results show that there are both qualitative and spatial heterogeneity in household livelihood assets. We found that the inequality of livelihood assets is evident for five household types. There is a spatial trend that the higher the eleva- tion, the less livelihood assets are. In addition, their options of economic compensation pat- tern vary from Chengdu Pattern to Foshan Pattern due to their difference in livelihood assets and difference in location. In detail, there is a coupling relationship between household live- lihood assets and their compensation pattern; negative correlation is observed between natural assets value and household pattern options, while the other livelihood assets have positive impacts on compensation pattern in varying degrees, which from the top are psy- chological assets, human assets, physical assets, financial assets, and social assets respec- tively. A conceptual compensation pattern system has been designed to meet the demands for farmer households mainly according to their shortage in livelihood assets. In addition, compensation method, compensation standard, the basis of compensation and the source of compensation funds have been proposed accordingly.

Grassland tenure,livelihood assets and pastoralists’resilience:evidence and empirical analyses from western China

Pastoralists in western China are highly vulnerable due to harsh natural conditions and the poor socioeconomic environment they confront.More than 50%of the pastoralists in major grassland areas are living below the survival line;moreover,around 90%of the usable grasslands in China have been degraded to some degree,and the degradation expands at a rate of two million ha per year.Enhancing pastoralists’resilience is desirable for the economic development and social stability in pastoral areas.As an important aspect influencing livelihoods,grassland tenure in China has not been well studied to learn how it affects the welfare of pastoralists,and what can be done to strengthen their resilience.Based on the evidence from four periods of fieldwork conducted by the authors during 2005-2014,the study applies an analytical framework adapted from the sustainable livelihood theory to examine the interactions of grassland tenure,livelihood assets of pastoralists and their resilience.Main findings show that the existing grassland tenure arrangements cause unbalanced and decreased livelihood assets,which in turn reduce the resilience of pastoralists by lowering their capacities of coping with stresses or shocks.Of the policies and measures aiming to enhance the pastoralists’adaptive capacity and ongoing development,building social capital is critical.Developing functional livelihood asset markets such as grassland rental markets and financial markets will also contribute to a more robust livelihood structure.

Comprehensive Evaluation of Farm Household Livelihood Assets in a Western Mountainous Area of China: A Case Study in Zunyi City

As the foundation of farm household structure,livelihood asset status is the basis for farmers to gain opportunities,adopt livelihood strategies,resist livelihood risk,and engage in positive livelihood achievements.Quantifying farm household assets identifies future development trends that are fundamentally necessary to predict farm household vulnerability and strategy,as well as understanding farmers’current living situations.Using Zunyi City in China’s western mountainous area as a case study,we conducted stratified sampling and participatory rural investigation appraisal to collect data on the attributes of farm households’livelihood assets and livelihood strategies to establish an index evaluation system and enable evaluation and analysis of farm households with different livelihood strategies.Our research indicates that due to structural differences,total livelihood assets of farm households with different livelihood strategies are similar.Rural households have an abundance of natural and material assets and deficiencies in human,financial and social assets.Non-rural households and part-time households are abundant in human,financial and social assets and deficient in natural and material assets.

Livelihood changes and evolution of upland ethnic communities driven by tourism:a case study in Guizhou Province,southwest China

As an effective livelihood approach to alleviate poverty without rural population migration, ethnic tourism has become the primary choice of economic development in ethnic areas worldwide in addition to traditional livelihood approaches. This article applies the theories of livelihood to study the community evolution driven by tourism livelihood and examine three mountainous tourism communities in different stages of tourist area life cycle. Drawing on the methods of GIS spatial analysis, semi-structured interviews and questionnaires, this article proposes a sustainable livelihood framework for ethnic tourism to explore the evolution of ethnic tourism communities by identifying changes in livelihood assets(natural, financial, social, cultural and human capitals) in the process of tourism development. The results show that the development of ethnic tourism has led to changes in the increase of building land, and the diversification of land use functions with a trend of shifting from meeting local villagers' living needs to satisfying tourists, income composition and uneven distribution of tourism income spatially. Ethnic tourism also led to the deterioration of traditional social management structure, collapse of neighboring relationship, the over- commercialization and staged authenticity of ethnic culture, as well as the gradual vanish of agricultural knowledge with a trend of increasing modern business knowledge and higher education. In addition, these changes, involving livelihood assets from natural, economic, human, social and cultural aspects are interrelated and interactive, which form new evolution characters of ethnic community. This study reveals the conflicts over livelihood approaches which have formed new vulnerabilities to impact on sustainable evolution of ethnic communities. This research provides implications for achieving the sustainable development of ethnic communities with the driving force of tourism livelihood.

基于农户生计资本的农村宅基地整治满意度分析——以湖南省岳阳市为例

基于湖南省岳阳市407个样本的微观农户实地调研数据,运用有序离散Probit模型检验生计资本对农户宅基地整治满意度的影响程度以及不同资本结构的差异性作用规律。结果表明:(1)农户物质资本、人力资本、金融资本、社会资本和自然资本均对农户宅基地整治满意度产生显著影响,作用强度较大的因素主要有家庭干部数量、家庭收入来源、邻里关系、家庭党员数量、家庭总人口、距耕地距离等;(2)不同资本类型农户对宅基地整治行为表现出不同的满意度,资本合理型农户的满意度更高;(3)在不同资本类型农户的满意度影响因素中,资本合理型农户更倾向于宅基地整治带来的社会资本和人力资本提高,资本缺乏型农户更倾向于金融资本、自然资本和物质资本的提高。

青藏高原东部样带农牧民生计的多样化

随着草地退化和药材资源减少,青藏高原东部农牧民的生计受到了严重影响。农牧民如何利用生计资产实现生计多样化是该区域可持续发展面临的关键问题。实地调查采用PRA法,结合调查结果调整了生计资产评估指标,从样带尺度定量分析了高原东部高山峡谷区、山原区和高原区农牧民的生计资产现状、生计多样化特点和今后的生计策略。结果表明:①生计多样化是农牧民普遍采用的生计策略。高山峡谷区农牧民生计多样化水平较高,从事二三产业较多,普遍寻求发展型生计。而随着海拔升高,农牧民的生计多样化水平降低,从事的生计活动类型减少,发展型生计的比例也降低;②海拔较低的高山峡谷区和山原区,生计资产总值高,而海拔越高的高原区,生计资产总值较低,主要反映在人力资产和自然资产上;③居民所拥有的生计资产与生计多样化水平高度正相关;④农牧民近期仍基于生计资产改善生计策略;⑤高山峡谷区和山原区农牧民寻求发展型生计为高原区牧民提供了很好的借鉴。建议政府围绕生计多样化的制约因素进行投入,以提高牧民的能力,协助高原区牧民建立发展型生计。

农牧户可持续生计资产与生计策略的关系研究--以鄂尔多斯市乌审旗为例

基于问卷调查和数理统计等方法,对鄂尔多斯市乌审旗农牧户生计资产进行定量评估,揭示了生计资产与生计策略之间的关系,探讨退耕禁牧政策对生计的影响。结果表明:1)草场面积、信贷情况、家庭收入、牲畜数量是重要的农牧民生计资产,但研究区社会资产和人力资产存量较低,使得丰富的自然资产和较充足的金融资产,因人的能力和素质相对较低,不能形成最佳的生计策略;2)人力资产、金融资产和社会资产丰富的农户往往倾向于非农活动,而物质和自然资产丰富的农户往往更愿意从事农业活动;3)退耕政策的实施导致耕地数量和种植结构发生变化,主要表现为"为养而种",农业劳动力逐步往非农转移;禁牧政策的实施导致牧业经营转变为以农业方式来经营,倾向圈舍饲养羊和猪,发展规模化养殖和特色养殖;部分移民存在角色转变和职业培训问题;4)退耕与禁牧政策的实施仍然存在一些问题,尤其表现在对移民的生计指导、部分农牧民基本生活的保障、补贴金额的合理厘定及后续补贴的保障、剩余劳动力的转移和吸纳力等方面。基于此,从可持续生计的角度提出提高研究区农牧民生计策略的途径及推进退耕禁牧政策实施的建议。

可持续生计分析框架应用的新领域:农民工生计研究

农民工生计日益成为影响中国经济社会转型期国计民生的重要问题。本文基于生计概念和对英国国际发展署可持续生计分析框架的重新认识,探讨将其应用于农民工问题研究的必要性和可行性;在总结目前农民工生计研究进展的基础上,展望农民工可持续生计研究的关键问题。本文对拓展可持续生计分析框架的应用领域,加深对农民工生计研究和实践具有积极意义。

内蒙古半农半牧区农户生计资产与生计方式研究——以科右中旗双榆树嘎查为例

基于可持续生计框架,采用统计分析和深度访谈法,将研究区293户农户按生计活动类型划为牧户(牛户、羊户、牛羊户和马户)、种植户和非农户,并按农户生计资产总值进一步划为高、中、低3个等级类型,进而分析了不同类型和不同等级农户的生计资产与生计活动及方式的依存关系。研究发现:各类农户的生计资产均值差距明显,牧户最高,为0.37,种植户为0.25,非农户为0.21;牧户的劳动力、草场、牲畜、现金、贷款等资产均值最高,种植户的农机和耕地资产均值最高,非农户的社会资产均值最高。目前,半农半牧区的农户仍然以旱作种植业和草地畜牧业为主要生计,但农牧业生产均面临较大的资源环境压力;非农户只占15.3%,且面临非农就业机会不足、个人技能缺失、语言障碍和务农时间与用工季节的冲突。最后,提出了提高农户收入和改善农户生计的对策建议。

不同生计资产配置的农户宅基地流转家庭福利变化研究

在已有研究农户家庭生计资产和家庭福利理论的基础上,采用农户生计资产量化法和模糊综合评价法,通过对武汉城市圈典型区域宅基地流转农户家庭的实证研究,分析了宅基地流转对被流转农户的家庭福利影响。运用生计资产量化分析法,研究了被流转农户的家庭生计资产配置,得出农户的家庭生计资产分值,将农户划分为资产缺乏型农户和资产均衡性农户。在阿玛蒂亚·森的可行能力及家庭福利评价框架下,运用模糊综合评价法,研究宅基地流转对不同生计资产配置的农户家庭福利影响,研究表明,从总体和资产均衡型农户家庭来看,宅基地流转有助于被流转农户的家庭福利的改善和提高,其模糊指数分别为0.533和0.547,高于流转前设定的模糊状态0.5,而使资产缺乏型农户的家庭总体福利下降,模糊指数从0.5下降到0.464;从影响福利的因素来看,宅基地流转对资产均衡型农户家庭的经济状况、居住条件、社会保障及发展机会有所改善,对社区环境、心理福利有所下降,但对资产缺乏型农户家庭的经济状况、社区环境、发展机会及心理福利有所降低,对社会保障和居住条件有所改善。基于农户家庭生计的可持续和福利改进,由此可得出相应的结论:在宅基地流转中,要实施差异化的流转保障、扶持政策,做到对被流转农户家庭的瞄准补偿与支助;加强对新安置点的选址、规划,新居民点要有利于农户的生活、就业与发展;注重农户参与与生存发展,提高农户自我认可与精神改变,确保宅基地流转后,农户精神福利随着物质福利提高而逐步改善。

退耕还林对农户可持续生计的影响

构建"退耕还林可持续生计分析框架"。利用北京大学环境经济与政策小组2004年在宁夏和贵州获取的调研数据,采用匹配倍差法(matching difference in difference regression)等计量经济模型,识别退耕还林工程实施对农户可持续生计的净影响。短期的收入分析表明,退耕还林对农户的种植业收入产生显著的负面影响;林业和养殖业短期内难以成为替代收入来源;外出务工收入明显增加,但退耕还林在其中发挥的直接促进作用不显著。长期来看,资产积累是决定农户生计状况和发展最重要的指标,但目前中国西部贫困地区人力、物质、自然、社会和资金5种生计资产较低,制约了生计能力的提高。因此,为了促使农户可持续生计的获得及发展,保障政策效果和可持续性,新一轮的退耕还林政策除了实施直接补助外,需要更加关注农户资产和生计能力的加强。

环京津贫困带减贫策略研究——基于“可持续生计框架”的分析

环京津贫困带面临着贫困和生态脆弱双重压力,可持续发展受到挑战。从"可持续生计"视角审视,环京津贫困带的自然资本、人力资本、资金资本、物质资本和社会资本都比较薄弱,"生计五边形"显著缩小,这是区域难以脱贫及容易返贫的重要原因。运用"可持续生计框架"理念,建议通过创新扶贫机制与政策、跨区域合作减贫、发展生态经济、加强教育培训、强化生态修复与生态建设等,促进环京津贫困带"生计五边形"扩张,进入生态保护与地区经济发展的良性循环,达到减贫脱贫目标。

生态补偿方式对农户生计资本的影响分析

随着生态补偿研究的不断深入与生态补偿工程的广泛实施,提高了人们对于环境问题的认识,遏制了生态脆弱地区环境的进一步退化.实施生态补偿的环境保护作用显而易见,不乏论述,但对于改善农户生计水平,提高生计资本的效用却鲜有论及.从农户生计入手,评估农户的生计资本,量化实施生态补偿对农户生计资本的影响,分析生态补偿方式对农户生计资本的影响作用,有利于揭示与评估生态补偿实施的有效性.对于地处黑河流域中游地区的张掖市来讲,可以通过提高人力资本、物质资本和金融资本的水平,从而整体上提高农户的生计资本水平.政策支持和资金支持两种补偿方式被多数农户作为首先的补偿方式,而将物质支持作为首先的补偿方式人数较少;技术补偿和物质补偿对物质资本、物质补偿和政策补偿对社会资本显著,且对于各生计资本的组份有正向拉动作用.此外,尝试分析了对各种补偿方式对生计资本拉动作用原因的推断.

失地农户生计策略多样化研究

利用九江和襄阳两地的失地农户调查数据,刻画失地农户生计策略多样化特征;并利用广义线性模型和广义线性混合模型,分析生计资本对失地农户生计多样化的影响。主要研究结论包括:1)失地前后农户的生计多样化与收入水平、兼业程度和劳动力流动具有某种关联;2)失地农户实施生计多样化的能力依赖于一定的生计资本,生计资本的提高有助于扩展失地农户实施生计多样化的能力;3)生计多样化虽然是失地农户发展生计的重要途径,但当生计资本超过某个临界点后农户不再将生计多样化作为其最优的选择。

生计资产对规模养猪户环境风险感知的影响实证

环境风险感知是养猪户对农村环境风险的态度和直觉判断,是风险应对行为的基础,而生计资产又是养猪户抵御风险、提高脆弱应对能力的保障。为研究规模养猪户生计资产与环境风险感知的关系,在对湖北、河南、广东、广西、江西、天津6省(市)规模养猪户运用参与式农村评估法(PRA)进行实地调查的基础上,应用统计分析和有序多分类Logistic模型,实证分析生计资产差异对规模养猪户环境风险感知的影响。结果表明:1)规模养猪户对环境污染、环境政策和环境治理的感知水平有明显差异。2)人力资本、自然资本和社会资本对环境风险感知有显著影响,金融资本和物质资本的影响较小。3)人力资本中年龄和受教育程度对环境风险感知的影响最大,相关系数分别为1.784和2.686;自然资本中地形对环境风险感知影响最显著,相关系数为1.813;社会资本中与周围农户的合作以及与周围农户关系的友好程度对环境风险感知有显著负向影响,相关系数分别为?0.950和?0.973;金融资本和物质资本对环境风险感知的影响则较小,模型估计仅通过10%水平的显著性检验。最后,基于实证结果,从建立科技示范与培训、环保知识宣传、法律法规体系建设、拓宽收入渠道等方面提出建议措施,旨在促进养猪户环境风险感知水平的提高和环境风险防御能力的增强。

基于不同农户生计类型的生态压力研究

针对张掖市甘州区典型村的不同农户生计类型,借助于生态足迹原理和生态压力指数的方法,进行生态压力定量研究.结果表明:自然资产、物质资产、人力资产、金融资产和社会资产良好地反映了研究区域农户目前的生计资产状况;2010-2014年甘州区典型村不同农户生计类型的生态足迹总体呈盈余状态,生态压力指数处于较安全状态;对纯农型和二兼型生态安全影响较大的是自然资产和人力资产,对非农型和一兼型的生态安全影响较大的是金融资产和物质资产.

生计资产差异对农民生活满意度的影响分析——以成都市双流县和崇州市为例

以四川省成都市3个镇18个村庄208户农户为例证,构建生计资产六边形分析农户生计资产状况,并运用灰色关联分析和定序Logit方法探讨农户生计资产与生活满意度的关联存在性和影响度。研究表明：1农户生计资产和生活满意度存在显著的区域差异及个体差别。永安镇农户生计资产产值最低,且家庭农业收入占比在50%~90%的一兼农户生计资产产值最高,家庭农业收入占比为10%~50%的二兼农户生计资产产值最低;江源镇农户生活满意度相对最高,非农业户和纯农业户的生活满意度明显高于兼业农户。2农户生活满意度与生计资产间存在较强的耦合关系,农户生计资产与生活满意度之间的灰色关联系数为0.482 2。其中,心理资产与农户生活满意度的关联系数最大（0.686 0）,自然资产与农户生活满意度的关联系数最低（0.480 6）。3生计资产状况对农户生活满意度具有显著影响,人力资产、自然资产、社会资产和心理资产的增加会提升农户生活满意度,而物质资产和金融资产的增加则会降低农户生活满意度。

基于双差分法的退耕还林工程对农户生计资本影响评价——以宁夏为例

在"可持续生计框架"下,利用宁夏中卫、盐池、平罗3个县的农户调查数据,采用倍差法,厘清了退耕还林工程对农户生计资本的净效应。研究发现,总量上,退耕还林工程对农户生计资本的净效应为正,反映出退耕提高了农户发展能力。从不同类型生计资本来看,除了自然资本的净效应为负外,其余各项的净效应均为正,其中较大的有金融资本和物质资本。耕地被退耕成林地,是自然资本为负的主要原因,而政府对退耕地的补贴对于金融资本和物质资本的增加起决定性作用。