Poverty alleviation resettlement in China reduces deforestation

Feifei Chen, Wei Chen and Huanguang Qiu ()
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Feifei Chen: a School of Management, China University of Mining and Technology-Beijing , Beijing 100083 , China
Wei Chen: b School of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development, Renmin University of China , Beijing 100872 , China
Huanguang Qiu: c School of Economics, Liaoning University , Shenyang 110136 , China

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2025, vol. 122, issue 11, e2421526122

Abstract:

Deforestation frequently accompanies poverty, yet various antipoverty programs in many countries have exhibited mixed results in addressing deforestation. Poverty Alleviation Resettlement (PAR) stands out as one of the few government-led resettlement programs designed to alleviate poverty, offering comprehensive follow-up support for quality of life and employment after relocation. Our study uncovered empirical evidence of the PAR program’s impact on forest quality. Through a multiperiod difference-in-differences analysis of remote sensing and household survey data, we found that the PAR program significantly curbed deforestation in the participating counties and reduced forest-clearing activities among the resettled households, even those relocating to rural villages. Mechanism analysis revealed that the program discouraged deforestation by enhancing market accessibility, fostering nonfarm employment opportunities, and elevating income levels. The study underscores that altering livelihood strategies and lifestyles is essential for resettlement programs to effectively mitigate ecological degradation.

Keywords: poverty alleviation; deforestation; resettlement (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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