Livelihood risk and adaptation strategies of farmers in earthquake hazard threatened areas: Evidence from sichuan province, China

Abstract

It is the final year for China to meet its targets for the 2020 deadline in its battle against poverty. Exploring the livelihood risks faced by farmers and their livelihood adaptation strategies in areas where disaster and poverty are intertwined can provide useful insights for the formulation and implementation of government policies for alleviating poverty. Based on survey data from 327 households in the Wenchuan and Lushan counties of Sichuan, China, this study systematically analyzed the four types of livelihood risks faced by farmers and six types of livelihood adaptation strategies they adopted. Multinomial logistic regression models were constructed to explore the correlation between the livelihood risks and the livelihood adaptation strategies. The results showed that: (1) Among the four livelihood risks faced by farmers, social risks were the largest and health risks were the smallest. (2) Among the six livelihood adaptation strategies adopted by farmers, borrowing money and loans was the most, while choosing to wait for government relief was the least. (3) When faced with health risks, farmers preferred to work outside of the home; when faced with environmental risks, farmers preferred to wait for government relief; when faced with financial risks, there were no significant differences between the six livelihood adaptation strategies chosen by farmers; when faced with social risks, farmers preferred to draw on their savings to survive.