Understanding livelihood vulnerability:a perspective from Western Sichuan’s ethnic rural settings

To explore the livelihood status and key influencing factors of rural households in the minority areas,we collected flat data from 284 rural households in 32 villages across 12 counties of Western Sichuan from 2021 to 2022.We conducted participatory household survey on the livelihood status of the rural households and try to identify the key factors to influence their livelihood vulnerability using multiple linear regression.The results showed that:the livelihood situation of the rural households is relatively vulnerable.The vulnerability varies significantly with the income levels,education levels,and income sources.The vulnerability of farm households,categorized from low to high livelihood types,follows the sequence:non-agricultural dominant households,non-agricultural households,agricultural dominant households,and pure agricultural households.The degree of damage to the natural environment,education costs,loan opportunities,the proportion of agricultural income to annual household income,and the presence of sick people in the household have significant positive effects on the livelihood vulnerability index(LVI)of rural households;while help from relatives and friends,net income per capita,household size,household education,agricultural land area,participation in industrial organizations,number of livestock,purchase of commercial houses,drinking water source,and self-supply of food have significant negative effects.Based on the findings,we believe that local rural households operate in a complex livelihood system and recommend continuous interventions targeting key influences to provide empirical research support for areas facing similar situations.

Livelihood Vulnerability and Adaptation for Households Engaged in Forestry in Ecological Restoration Areas of the Chinese Loess Plateau

Chinese Loess Plateau has achieved a win-win situation concerning ecological restoration and socio-economic development.However,synergistic development may not be realized at the local scale.In areas undergoing ecological restoration,livelihood vulner-ability may be more pronounced due to the inflexibility,policy protection,and susceptibility to climate and market changes in forestry production.Although this issue has attracted academic interest,empirical studies are relatively scarce.This study,centered on Jiaxian County,Shaanxi Province of China explored the households’livelihood vulnerability and coping strategies and group heterogeneity con-cerned with livelihood structures or forestry resources through field investigation,comprehensive index assessment,and nonparametric tests.Findings showed that:1)the percentage of households with high livelihood vulnerability indicator(LVI)(>0.491)reached 46.34%.2)Eight groups in livelihood structures formed by forestry,traditional agriculture,and non-farm activities were significantly different in LVI,land resources(LR),social networks(SN),livelihood strategies(LS),housing characteristics(HC),and socio-demo-graphic profile(SDP).3)The livelihood vulnerability of the groups with highly engaged/reliance on jujube(Ziziphus jujuba)forest demonstrated more prominent livelihood vulnerability due to the increased precipitation and cold market,where the low-engaged with reliance type were significantly more vulnerable in LVI,SDP,LR,and HC.4)The threshold of behavioral triggers widely varied,and farmers dependent on forestry livelihoods showed negative coping behavior.Specifically,the cutting behavior was strongly associated with lagged years and government subsidies,guidance,and high returns of crops.Finally,the findings can provide guidance on the dir-ection of livelihood vulnerability mitigation and adaptive government management in ecologically restored areas.The issue of farmers’livelihood sustainability in the context of ecological conservation calls for immediate attention,and eco-compensations or other forms of assistance in ecologically functional areas are expected to be enhanced and diversified.

Climatic and non-climatic factors driving the livelihood vulnerability of smallholder farmers in Ahafo Ano North District,Ghana

Smallholder farmers in Ahafo Ano North District,Ghana,face multiple climatic and non-climatic issues.This study assessed the factors contributing to the livelihood vulnerability of smallholder farmers in this district by household surveys with 200 respondents and focus group discussions(FGDs)with 10 respondents.The Mann–Kendall trend test was used to assess mean annual rainfall and temperature trends from 2002 to 2022.The relative importance index(RII)value was used to rank the climatic and non-climatic factors perceived by respondents.The socioeconomic characteristics affecting smallholder farmers’perceptions of climatic and non-climatic factors were evaluated by the binary logistic regression model.Results showed that mean annual rainfall decreased(P>0.05)but mean annual temperature significantly increased(P<0.05)from 2002 to 2022 in the district.The key climatic factors perceived by smallholder farmers were extreme heat or increasing temperature(RII=0.498),erratic rainfall(RII=0.485),and increased windstorms(RII=0.475).The critical non-climatic factors were high cost of farm inputs(RII=0.485),high cost of healthcare(RII=0.435),and poor condition of roads to farms(RII=0.415).Smallholder farmers’perceptions of climatic and non-climatic factors were significantly affected by their socioeconomic characteristics(P<0.05).This study concluded that these factors negatively impact the livelihoods and well-being of smallholder farmers and socioeconomic characteristics influence their perceptions of these factors.Therefore,to enhance the resilience of smallholder farmers to climate change,it is necessary to adopt a comprehensive and context-specific approach that accounts for climatic and non-climatic factors.

Climate Change and Livelihood Vulnerability of the Local Population on Sagar Island, India

This paper attempts to assess the vulnerability to climate change of human communities in selected mouzas of Sagar Island,South 24 Parganas District of India. A primary household survey has been conducted to collect data on socio-demographic profile, livelihood strategy, health, food, water, social network, natural disaster and climate variation indicators, were selected for Livelihood Vulnerability Index(LVI) and Livelihood Vulnerability Index-Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change(LVI-IPCC) analyses to measure and compare the vulnerability of mouzas(administrative unit) currently suffering from frequent flooding, coastal erosion and embankment breaching on an annual basis. Secondary data collected from the Indian Meteorological Department, the Water Resources Information System of India and the Global Sea Level Observing System have been used to identify dynamics of climate change by employing statistical and Geographic Information System(GIS) techniques. A GPS survey has been conducted to identify locations of embankment breaching, and satellite images obtained from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and U.S. Geological Survey(NASA USGS) Government website have been applied to shoreline and land use change detection, using a supervised maximum likelihood classification. The results indicate that the study area has experienced increasing temperature, changing precipitation patterns, rise in sea level, higher storm surges, shoreline change, constant land loss, embankment breaching and changing land use, which have had impact on vulnerability, particularly of poorer people. The LVI(0.48 to 0.68) and LVI-IPCC(0.04 to 0.14) scores suggest that the populations of Dhablat, Bankimnagar, Sumatinagar, Muri Ganga and Sibpur mouzas are highly vulnerable(LVI scores of 0.60 to 0.68 and LVI-IPCC scores of 0.11 to 0.14) to climate change both because the communities are more exposed to it, and because poor access to food, health facilities and water makes them extremely sensitive to it and lowers their adaptive capacity. The findings of this study could be crucial to framing further development and adaptation strategies relating to climate change, and to safeguarding the estuarine ecosystem and the vulnerable population.

Livelihood vulnerability of smallholder farmers to climate change: A comparative analysis based on irrigation access in South Sulawesi, Indonesia

Bulukumba Regency is one of the major rice-producing areas in South Sulawesi,Indonesia and has experienced frequent climate disasters over the past decade.Several downstream villages within the Bettu River irrigation area have been affected by the drought,culminating in reduced lowland rice production and increasing the vulnerability of farmers’livelihoods.This study aims to evaluate the vulnerability of the livelihood system among rice farmers in the Bettu River irrigation area by classifying the area into two zones based on the distance from the main irrigation canal,namely the upstream area and downstream area.The livelihood vulnerability index(LVI)framework and livelihood vulnerability index-Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change(LVI-IPCC)approach were applied by selecting geographic and socio-demographic indicators that affected the farmer households,including 8 major components and 26 sup-components.The data for LVI-IPCC estimation were collected by randomly selecting 132 households from villages in the two areas.The empirical results showed that farmers in the downstream area were more vulnerable to climate change than farmers in the upstream area.The major components causing the livelihood vulnerability of the downstream farmers were livelihood strategy,food,water,land,and health,as well as natural disasters and climate variability.In particular,the sub-components of agricultural livelihood diversification,consistent water supply for farming,and drought events were important in the downstream area.Farmers in the upstream area were vulnerable to socio-demographic profile and social network components.The LVI-IPCC findings suggested that the government should prioritize farmers in the downstream area to develop resilience strategies,particularly by increasing irrigation infrastructure and the number of reservoirs and drilling holes.Furthermore,to increase their adaptive capacity in terms of diversification of agricultural livelihood systems,the government and donor agencies need to provide trainings on the development of home food industries for poor farmers and vulnerable households that were affected by disasters.

Application of Livelihood Vulnerability Index to Assess Risks from Flood Vulnerability and Climate VariabilitymA Case Study in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam

An Giang province in the Mekong Delta is the most vulnerable province the impact of flooding and climate variability. Thousand of households are at risk due to severe annual floods. This study applied the LVI （livelihood vulnerability index） to estimate flood vulnerability of Phu Huu and Ta Danh villages in An Giang province. Data on socio-demographics, livelihoods, health, social networks, physical, financial and natural resources, natural disasters and climate variability were collected from a survey of 120 households in each village. From these data the LVI of each village was calculated. Results show that the overall LV1 of Phu Huu village, located in the early flooded zone, is higher than that of Ta Danh village, located in the late flooded zone. The analysis also indicated that this practical method can be applied for other purposes such as to monitor vulnerability, evaluate development programs or policy effectiveness by incorporating with scenario comparison.

Vulnerability of People’s Livelihoods to Water Resources Availability in Semi Arid Areas of Tanzania

In semi-arid areas of Tanzania vulnerability context is depicted as the starting component for policy process analysis through the sustainable livelihood approach. Giving vulnerability a high prominence in this analysis allowed the research to consider all kinds of vulnerabilities as central issues to the ways in which livelihoods are shaped. Hence the Sustainable Livelihood framework was used in this research as the comprehensive framework for assessing the contributing factors to limited water resources availability to sustain people’s livelihoods. The study revealed that, changes in the quantity, timing, intensity and duration of rainfall as a result of climate change contributes to greater water stress and making people more vulnerable. Due to over-abstraction upstream of the Great Ruaha River, it implies that, people depending on the water resources downstream of the Great Ruaha River catchment are vulnerable. Their livelihoods are at risks as they don’t have water for irrigation and other economic activities. The study also revealed that, both vulnerability and livelihood strategies are derived through natural water availability which features droughts, climate change and the link between water availability, agricultural production, and outcomes.

Livelihood Diversification of Farm Households and Its Impact on Cultivated Land Utilization in Agro-pastoral Ecologically-vulnerable Areas in the Northern China

The relationship between livelihood diversification of farm households and cultivated land utilization has become a core research topic related to global environmental change.Agro-pastoral ecologically-vulnerable areas face challenges such as insufficient ecosystem conservation,low agricultural production,and weak economies.In this study,215 farm households from Zhengxiangbai Banner,Taibus Banner,and Duolun County of Inner Mongolia were surveyed.The sustainable livelihoods framework of the United Kingdom(UK)Department for International Development(DFID)was used to measure the livelihood capital of these farm households.A one-way analysis of variance(ANOVA)was applied to examine the differences in the livelihood capital of different types households,and a correlation analysis was applied to analyze its impact on cultivated land utilization.Results showed that households with non-farming activities accounted for 64.7%of the total surveyed households,and non-farming employment was becoming more prevalent.Physical and financial capital was the driving factors for livelihood diversity.Each livelihood capital had key factors that affected household farmland use behaviors,such as the age of householder,the labor ratio,proportion of income,farmland scale,number of machines,and these had a significantly positive or negative influence on farmland use.Full-time farming households were more likely to transfer the land into cultivation and invest more labor,while non-farming households with high income were likely to transfer farmland out and invest more money to develop efficient farming or improve the employment skills.The results of this study suggest that policymakers need to fully consider livelihood changes of local households.It is effective to strengthen labor training,create farmland market and improve the efficiency of farmland utilization.We hope to achieve a win-win scenario to improve local economies and ecosystem conservation.

Climate Change Adaptation and Vulnerability: A Case of Rain Dependent Small-Holder Farmers in Selected Districts in Zambia

Food crop production by small-holder farmers in Africa is particularly vulnerable to climate change, given high dependence on rainfall coupled with limited adaptive capacity. In Zambia, smallholder farmers contribute about 79% of national stable food requirements particularly maize. This paper attempted to establish levels of food security in each of the three agro-ecological zones of Zambia, and evaluated the current adaptive measures of rain dependent small-holder farmers against climate change risks. The challenges farmers are facing in adapting to the change risks were identified and livelihood vulnerability assessed. The findings indicate that rain dependent small-holder farmers in Zambia are highly vulnerable to weather related shocks which impact greatly on their food production;and that the levels of vulnerability vary across gender and per agro-ecological zone. After the evaluation of scenarios including staple food crop yields (maize), the authors conclude that most rain-fed small-holder farmers in Zambia (about 70%) are facing considerable hardships in adapting to the changing climate, which in turn, undermines their contribution to food security. While efforts by government have been made to assist farmers towards climate change adaptation, there still remains many challenges to achieve the desired outcomes. Most farmers (66%) are unable to afford certain alternatives, such as those of agro-forestry or conservation. Difficulties in accessing markets, poor road infrastructure, fluctuating market prices, high costs and late deliveries of farming in-puts were found to be among the major challenges that farmers are facing in Zambia. There are also no systematic early warning systems in place against natural hazards and disasters. This makes farming a difficult undertaking in Zambia.

Rural Livelihoods Vulnerabilities and Commercial Bushmeat Hunting Challenges in Cross River National Park, Nigeria

Biodiversity conservation in parks and protected areas in Africa in general and especially in Nigeria is seriously threatened by the explosion of commercial bushmeat hunting activities in buffer zone communities. Several fauna species are becoming endangered and the list of extinct species is increasing due to commercial bushmeat hunting activities. Using a combination of qualitative and quantitative research techniques, this paper assesses the livelihoods vulnerability underpinnings of commercial bushmeat hunting activities in Cross River National Park (CRNP). Results reveal that commercial bushmeat hunting activities are shaped by a vulnerability context that hinges on different elements of environmental shocks, seasonal challenges and surrounding societal trends. The paper highlights the conservation and global sustainable development implications of uncontrolled commercial bushmeat hunting practices and concludes with options on policy recommendations and future research trajectories.

气候灾害、农产品价格策略和农户生计脆弱性——来自生态搬迁安置区的考察

在生态搬迁大背景下,农户面临的外部环境、内在心理和应对策略均发生了明显转变,有必要从外部扰动与内部适应的视角探究农户生计脆弱性。基于生计脆弱性理论,探讨实际气候灾害、感知气候灾害和农产品价格策略对农户生计脆弱性的影响,基于广东韶关南水湖生态搬迁安置区425位农户的调研数据进行验证。通过单因素方差分析、回归分析和Bootstrap中介效应检验,得出结论:首先,生态搬迁安置区农户感知气候灾害有其特殊性,与村子位置、社会关系和生计转换能力有关;其次,实际气候灾害和感知气候灾害均会加剧农户生计脆弱性,但感知气候灾害的影响力大于实际气候灾害,这与以往研究观点不同,也反映出农户对于气候灾害的担忧心理较为突出;最后,气候灾害及其后续的农产品价格策略是影响农户生计脆弱性的重要因素。

参与旅游对农户生计脆弱性的影响机制

农户的生计脆弱性关系脱贫成果的巩固和乡村振兴战略的推进。基于可持续生计理论,实地调查了恩施土家族苗族自治州乡村旅游地432户农户,通过t检验、方差分析等方法比较了不同旅游参与程度农户的生计脆弱性,运用多元线性回归、倾向得分匹配等稳健性检验、中介效应检验方法,深入探究了农户参与旅游对生计脆弱性的影响机理。研究发现,参与旅游降低了农户的生计脆弱性,尤其是提高了农户的适应力。在不同旅游参与程度的农户中,旅游兼营型农户的生计脆弱性最低,适应力最高。机制分析表明,农户通过参与旅游增强了生计技能和收入多样化等内生发展动力,降低了自身的生计脆弱性。农户参与旅游对生计脆弱性的影响因乡村旅游发展模式不同而存在异质性,仅生态农业依托模式的农户通过参与旅游显著降低了其生计脆弱性。恩施州乡村旅游地应提升乡村旅游社区参与程度、增强农户的内生发展动力,以降低农户的生计脆弱性,推进乡村振兴。

转移就业对农户生计脆弱性的影响——基于新疆县域数据的证据

降低农户生计脆弱性是实现乡村振兴的基础和前提,转移就业是降低农户生计脆弱性的重要手段。基于新疆农户微观数据,使用双重差分倾向得分匹配法(PSM-DID)实证检验转移就业政策对农户生计脆弱性的影响。结果表明:转移就业可以显著降低农户生计脆弱性。这一结论在采用更改标准线及更改匹配方法两种方式进行稳健性检验后仍然稳健。异质性检验表明,转移就业政策对南疆地区农户生计脆弱性的削弱作用更强,对生计脆弱性水平越高的农户作用效果越强。在进一步的影响机制检验中发现,转移就业可以通过提高农户技能水平和拓宽农户社会网络关系降低农户生计脆弱性。当前是脱贫攻坚与乡村振兴进行有效衔接时期,依据分析结果提出了相关政策建议。

生态保护区移民搬迁对低收入农户脆弱性的影响

基于A县2014—2022年的面板数据,利用双向固定效应双重差分法探讨生态保护区移民搬迁对低收入农户脆弱性的影响。研究发现,搬迁总体显著降低了农户的脆弱性,降幅为2.2%。脆弱性分解和成因分析结果表明,与低脆弱农户和低波动农户相比,搬迁对高脆弱性农户和高波动性农户的正向影响分别降低了16.3%和13.0%。人力资本劣势导致这些农户较难适应搬迁后的劳动力市场,生计转型缓慢,从而脆弱性下降较为平缓。这一结论对政府有针对性地制定搬迁后的帮扶政策具有重要意义。

水源保护下搬迁农户生计脆弱性评估框架分析——以韶关南水湖搬迁安置区为例

为了促进水源保护,水源地农户常被搬迁安置和限渔退捕,其生计脆弱性较为突出。以韶关南水湖搬迁安置区为例,基于“暴露性-敏感性-适应性”框架,构建了农户生计脆弱性评价框架,对农民生计脆弱性进行实证分析。结果表明:农户生计脆弱性总体较高,突出体现在生计适应性和生计暴露性两个方面;不同类型农户脆弱性存在差异,农户生计脆弱性会因村子和县城的距离、非渔业经营技能、职业类型的不同而存在差异;农户生计脆弱性受到就业机会、转产技能、生计多样性等因素的影响。

长江流域生态退捕渔民生计脆弱性评价及生计风险预测

渔民作为长江十年禁渔的参与主体,其后续生计发展将直接决定此生态保护政策的实施成效。在重构非自愿生态移民生计脆弱性评价体系的基础上,结合长江流域重点禁渔水域典型退捕渔民的抽样数据,测度渔民生计脆弱性指数(LVI)并找出影响后续生计恢复的主要障碍因子,最后跨领域的引入支持向量回归(SVR)预测模型动态分析了不同区域渔户生计脆弱性的演变趋势。结果表明:(1)渔民弃船上岸后呈现出生计脆弱性的比例较高,但不同类型区域间存在明显差异,其中内湖保护区最高,干流非保护区次之而干流保护区最低;(2)敏感性维度在诱发渔民生计脆弱性上起着主导作用,即个体禀赋比安置区条件更为重要,特别是成员年龄大但无基本社保兜底,受教育程度低且“双转”难的渔民家庭更易陷入生计困境;(3)自然和金融资本是推动渔民生计恢复的主要生计资本,而阻碍渔民生计脆弱性降低的共性因子主要有上岸后的收支失衡,社会支持不足及过分依赖原有生计方式等,同时各区域在脆弱性各维度上还有特殊的障碍因子;(4)推动安置区经济社会发展和家庭转产增收后,并不一定能确保缓解未来五年中的渔户生计脆弱性程度,上岸后完成社会融入并有效降低生产生活成本也至关重要,而干流保护区则还需加强人力资本建设,否则后续将面临极高的返贫风险;(5)长江临近区域的同类渔民生计脆弱性现状、面临的生计风险、后续生计恢复的进程具有一定的相似性和规律性,生计监测和帮扶政策可进行协同统筹。

易地扶贫搬迁与脱贫户生计脆弱性:降低抑或加剧?——来自湘鄂渝黔毗邻民族地区的例证

易地扶贫搬迁在全面建成小康社会过程中发挥着举足轻重的作用,但部分脱贫户仍存在较高的脆弱性,这将是中国减贫工作需要重点关注的问题。本文依据湘鄂渝黔毗邻民族地区脱贫户实地调研数据,运用线性回归模型,系统评估易地扶贫搬迁对脱贫户生计脆弱性有何影响及如何影响,并剖析区域、安置方式、搬迁时间及生计策略的差异性作用。分析结果显示,易地扶贫搬迁对脱贫户生计脆弱性产生改善效果,此结论在经过安慰剂检验和分位数回归模型等稳健性检验后仍然成立。进一步的分析结果显示,地区差异、安置方式与搬迁时间的交互项、生计策略对易地扶贫搬迁的脱贫户生计脆弱性降低作用存在异质性影响。机制检验结果表明,家庭收入多样化和个体志向水平是易地扶贫搬迁降低脱贫户生计脆弱性的重要机制,而家庭收入多样化的中介效应更为突出。本文为易地扶贫搬迁后续扶持政策优化、扶贫工作高质量推进、脱贫攻坚与乡村振兴有效衔接提供新的经验证据。

乡村振兴背景下农户生计资本研究现状及展望

在乡村振兴背景下,生计资本是影响和体现农户生计状况的基础,同时也是解决三农问题,实现乡村振兴的重要切入点,受到了学者们的广泛关注。本文通过回顾与梳理国内外有关生计资本的研究文献,从五方面提出、研究在乡村振兴背景下未来农户生计资本的重点。

正规金融与农村家庭生计脆弱性——基于房贷差异视角下的实证研究

促进农村家庭生计可持续是乡村振兴战略的重中之重。基于CFPS两期整合数据考察正规借贷对农村家庭生计脆弱性的影响。统计结果表明,农村家庭的生计脆弱性指数集中在-0.459~0.225之间,整体脆弱性水平较低。相较于非正规借贷家庭,正规借贷家庭的生计脆弱性水平更低。房屋正规借贷高额度家庭的生计脆弱性水平较高,而非房屋正规借贷高额度家庭的生计脆弱性水平较低,这两类农村家庭的低额度正规借贷组中有很大部分家庭的生计可持续能力很高。回归结果表明,正规借贷额度每提高1个单位,农村家庭的生计脆弱性指数降低12.1个百分点。相较于房屋正规借贷额度,非房屋正规借贷额度的提高对农村家庭生计脆弱性的降低效果更好。进一步研究发现,房屋正规借贷和非房屋正规借贷额度的提高均可通过促进农村家庭生计策略非农化的转型进而降低其生计脆弱性,但房屋正规借贷在该机制中所起的积极作用更大。据此提出引导农户合理使用正规借贷资金,开发“房贷+”金融产品,细化农村金融帮扶策略的对策建议。

封禁保护区农户生计脆弱性和生计可持续性研究

为精确识别建立封禁保护区对甘肃省不同生态系统类型下农户生计脆弱性和生计可持续性的影响,本研究利用调查问卷和访谈方法对玛曲、民勤和山丹县国家级封禁保护区农户的生计脆弱性和可持续生计能力进行了研究。结果表明,玛曲县封禁区是生计资本最脆弱的地区,该地区生计可持续性最差,民勤县封禁区次之,山丹县封禁区生计脆弱性最低,生计可持续性最好。整体来说,建立封禁保护区对生态系统单一地区的农户生计脆弱性和生计可持续性影响较大,对生态系统多样地区的农户影响较小。该结论为指导封禁保护区可持续发展提供理论依据。