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Household Livelihood Strategies and Dependence on Agriculture in the Mountainous Settlements in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area, China

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  • Dingde Xu

    (Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences & Ministry of Water Conservancy, #9, Block 4, Renminnan Road, Chengdu 610041, China
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Jifei Zhang

    (Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences & Ministry of Water Conservancy, #9, Block 4, Renminnan Road, Chengdu 610041, China
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Golam Rasul

    (International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, Khumaltar, G.P.O. Box 3226, Lalitpur, Kathmandu 44700, Nepal
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Shaoquan Liu

    (Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences & Ministry of Water Conservancy, #9, Block 4, Renminnan Road, Chengdu 610041, China
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Fangting Xie

    (Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences & Ministry of Water Conservancy, #9, Block 4, Renminnan Road, Chengdu 610041, China
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Mengtian Cao

    (Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences & Ministry of Water Conservancy, #9, Block 4, Renminnan Road, Chengdu 610041, China
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China)

  • Enlai Liu

    (Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences & Ministry of Water Conservancy, #9, Block 4, Renminnan Road, Chengdu 610041, China
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China)

Abstract

This study explores the extent to which farmers in the Three Gorges Reservoir area remain highly dependent on agriculture despite rapid urbanization and industrialization. The study focuses on the factors that determine a household’s choice of livelihood strategy, with a particular focus on the production of and dependence on agricultural products. Using a sustainable livelihoods approach and survey data from farmers in the Three Gorges Reservoir area in China, the study provides a descriptive statistical analysis and ordinal logistic regression model that shows that close to 56% of households exhibit a low dependence on agriculture. The following variables had a significant influence on livelihood strategy: the maximum years of education of any household member; the age of the household head; the number of laborers in a household; household location; and formal and informal social networks. Regardless of whether the household had children, house value and fixed assets had no significant influence on livelihood strategy. According to the analysis results, we put forward the suggestions that government departments increase investment in infrastructure and make loan policies more favorable for farmers so as to encourage rural able-person to use their social networks to actively establish businesses at migrant destinations.

Suggested Citation

  • Dingde Xu & Jifei Zhang & Golam Rasul & Shaoquan Liu & Fangting Xie & Mengtian Cao & Enlai Liu, 2015. "Household Livelihood Strategies and Dependence on Agriculture in the Mountainous Settlements in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(5), pages 1-20, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:7:y:2015:i:5:p:4850-4869:d:48660
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    4. Alemu, Zerihun Gudeta, 2012. "Livelihood Strategies in Rural South Africa: Implications for Poverty Reduction," 2012 Conference, August 18-24, 2012, Foz do Iguacu, Brazil 125411, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
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