Impacts of the Natural Forest Conservation Program on the livelihoods of residents of Northwestern China: Perceptions of residents affected by the program

Conservation of the ecological environment presents scientists with a challenging dilemma because the strategy often leads to negative impacts on impoverished people in the area affected by the project. To consider this problem, we investigated the implications of China's national and regional policies related to the Natural Forest Conservation Program (NFCP) for poverty in the dryland regions of northern Shaanxi Province. We found that 34.9, 47.0, and 59.8% of farmers, livestock grazers, and forest workers respectively, felt that their livelihoods had been adversely affected by the NFCP due to the ban on logging and grazing imposed by this program, and they perceived additional economic losses because they were not adequately compensated for their economic losses under the program. These perceptions are supported by economic data. In addition, our results showed that the poorer the survey respondent, the greater the likelihood they believed that they had suffered from the implementation of the NFCP. Although Chinese citizens have become more favorable towards environmental conservation efforts, the poorest citizens still need considerable help to make it possible for them to participate in both economic development and environmental restoration.