Spatial coupling relationship between multidimensional poverty and the risk of geological disaster

Abstract

ABSTRACT Objective: Studying the coupling relationship between multidimensional poverty and geological disaster risk is a beneficial exploration for the collaborative promotion of disaster and poverty reduction. Methods: Taking Sichuan province as the research area, this study adopted the multidimensional poverty index and the information content model to quantitatively evaluate the multidimensional poverty and geological disaster risk in 2019, and uses the coupling coordination degree model to explore their coupling relationship and coordinated development. Results: The development level of high-altitude areas and remote mountainous areas was lower than that of plain and hilly areas, and the spatial difference of multidimensional poverty is obvious. The risk of geological disaster is relatively high overall in the alpine valley regions of Western, Southern and Northern Sichuan. The coupling level of multidimensional poverty and geological disasters is comparatively prominent. The overall coordination degree is relatively high. There existed obvious gathering areas in places of disorder of both poverty and disaster, disaster risk lag, poverty lag and synchronous development. In contrast, the coordinated-disaster risk and the poverty lags were relatively scattered. The unbalanced development between eastern and western Sichuan is comparatively prominent. More efforts will be paid to pursue poverty and disaster reduction in a highly collaborative way. Conclusion: This study gives data support for the long-term mechanism established in Sichuan province for forestalling and defusing the risk of returning to poverty caused by disease so that the international community can learn from China’s experience through observation and collaboration in terms of poverty and disaster reduction.