Relocation selection for poverty alleviation: Factor analysis and GIS modeling

Abstract

Resettlement is considered a major policy measure in two major Chinese policy programs, the “Great Development of the West” and poverty alleviation in the new century, and the “New Countryside Development”. The selection of the target location of resettlement sites for poverty-stricken villages is of critical importance to the success of resettlement projects, yet the selection process is challenged by the need for analyzing a variety of contributing factors, and the need for many rounds of tedious data processing. So in this paper we present an in-depth analysis of the major factors and data processing model concerning mountainous povertystricken villages, which also takes a major part of China’s poor villages. Our analysis shows the following factors bear the most importance in resettlement selection: 1) topography: candidate areas should have slope less than 25 degrees and altitude less than 2400 meters. 2) accessibility: close to market conventions places and transportation facilities. 3) farming resources: with abundant land and water resources. 4) non-intrusiveness: interests of receiving villages should be considered and negative impact minimized. A simple measure could be having the candidate area 1000 m away from the receiving residents. 5) Minimal ecological and political footprint: candidate areas shall not conflict with nature conservation areas or nationally planned key land use projects. 6) Social and cultural compatibility: residents will better off if relocated in the same county, considering language, religion, ethnic culture and other factors. Taking Makuadi, Lushui County of Nujiang Prefecture as a case study, we demonstrate how GIS analysis and modeling tools can be used in the selection process of resettlement projects in mountainous areas.