How Does Targeted Poverty Alleviation Policy Influence Residents’ Perceptions of Rural Living Conditions? A Study of 16 Villages in Gansu Province, Northwest China

Meimei Wang,Qing Liu,Mengqin Liu,Bo Zhang,Yongchun Yang

doi:10.3390/su11246944

Abstract

Rural living conditions (RLCs) in China are influential on the overall development and stability of regions, particularly for populations in distant poverty-stricken villages. This paper takes 16 villages of Chedao town in Gansu province, Northwest China (NWC) as our case study. Using data from the Poverty Alleviation and Assistance (PAA) project launched by Lanzhou University in June 2017, and the perceptions of residents of Chedao, we pinpoint RLC changes in the targeted poverty alleviation (TPA) process. The three main results show that: (1) From the residents’ perceptions, the impact of alleviation measures on RLC is mainly reflected in improved housing conditions, infrastructure, and public services. We find no significant effect on cultural conditions. However, eco-environmental conditions have obviously weakened. (2) Housing size, accessibility, distance to shops, and safe drinking water are the most significant factors in housing conditions, infrastructure, public services, and eco-environmental conditions, respectively. (3) Out of the different levels of rural poverty households (RPHs), severe rurality villages are more strongly aware of the positive changes in RLC than residents of mild rurality villages. Moreover, in residents’ view, housing conditions are most improved in severe rurality villages, infrastructure is most improved in moderate rurality villages, and public services are most improved in mild rurality villages. Eco-environmental conditions worsen across all levels. Our findings shed light on the perceptions of residents on changes occurring in rural living conditions, and provide a basis for subsequent studies of RLC in Northwest China.

Highlights

On 26 August 2016, a poverty-stricken mother named Yang Gailan, of Gansu province, committed suicide by ingesting pesticide after killing her four under-aged children with an axe
In residents’ view, housing conditions are most improved in severe rurality villages, infrastructure is most improved in moderate rurality villages, and public services are most improved in mild rurality villages
We have drawn from the two surveys on Rural living conditions (RLCs) in the Poverty Alleviation and Assistance (PAA), which define our categories housing conditions, infrastructure, public services, eco-environmental conditions, and cultural conditions in perceptions of rural poverty households (RPHs)

Summary

Introduction

On 26 August 2016, a poverty-stricken mother named Yang Gailan, of Gansu province, committed suicide by ingesting pesticide after killing her four under-aged children with an axe. The systematic Poverty Alleviation Project was first launched in 1986 by the State Council’s Leading Group Office for Poverty Alleviation and Development (SCLGOP) During this time, a systematic approach was taken to assess the number of poverty-stricken areas based on an annual per capita rural income: of ¥150; this number rose to ¥200 in minority areas and ¥300 in ‘revolutionary based’ (an area with armed forces and political power established by the communist party of China in certain areas) counties. Instead of directly subsidizing the targeted areas, this project was designed to foster long-term and sustainable development to improve the incomes and jobs of rural residents and attend to basic infrastructure: to build roads and provide safe drinking water facilities [4]. The results indicate that the local government does need to make effort to provide targeted poverty alleviation for residents due to their geographical distributions

Literature Review

Data and Research Setting

Model Test Results

The Final Optimal Model

Residents’ Perceptions of RLC Change among Various Groups

Concluding Remarks