Can poverty alleviation policy enhance ecosystem service value? Evidence from poverty-stricken regions in China

Abstract

Existing literature indicates that poverty-stricken regions often exhibit characteristics such as poor resource endowment and weak environmental carrying capacity, which can lead to excessive exploitation of natural resources and degradation of the ecological environment in pursuit of economic development. However, previous research has primarily focused on the economic benefits of development in impoverished areas, overlooking the importance of ecosystem services. This study aims to fill this research gap by examining the impact of China's Poverty Alleviation Policy on ecosystem service values in 51 impoverished counties from 2011 to 2019. Our analysis reveals that the Poverty Alleviation Policy effectively enhances ecosystem service values in poverty-stricken areas, and the fiscal pressure faced by local governments significantly influences the policy's effectiveness in boosting ecosystem service values. Notably, we also find that environmental management policies demonstrate a greater capacity to enhance ecosystem service values in poverty-stricken regions compared to industrial development-led poverty-reduction policies.