The Stakeholders’ Views on Planting Trees to Control Schistosomiasis in China

Jun Yang, Jinxing Zhou, Jing Jin and Qixiang Sun
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Jun Yang: Department of Earth System Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
Jinxing Zhou: School of Soil and Water Conservation, Institute of Forest Ecological Engineering for Schistosomiasis Control, Beijing Forestry University, Key Laboratory of State Forestry Administration on Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing 100083, China
Jing Jin: Department of Earth System Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
Qixiang Sun: Research Institute of Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 3, 1-14

Abstract: China has initiated a tree planting program in epidemic regions of schistosomiasis as a part of efforts to eliminate schistosomiasis. More than 518,900 ha of tree plantations have been planted through the program between 2006 and 2015. However, whether the planting program has fulfilled its mission or not is an open question. In this study, we intended to get the answer from the main stakeholders of the planting program through a large-scale survey. Based on interviews with 80 administrators of the planting program and 1440 farmers in 24 counties and districts in four provinces, we found that most stakeholders viewed the planting program positively. Nearly 92% of farmers and all administrators believed that the planting program had reduced snail densities, while 94.3% of farmers and all administrators believed that the program had lowered the incidences of schistosomiasis. In addition, they reported that the impacts on farmers’ living and local environments by the tree planting program were mainly positive. Based on the stakeholders’ responses, we conclude that the tree planting program has been perceived by the main stakeholders as an effective environmental control measure of schistosomiasis. However, certain places and people that may be impacted negatively by the program should be given more attention when implementing the program.

Keywords: schistosomiasis; control; tree planting; impact; environment; poverty (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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