Resources Science ›› 2019, Vol. 41 ›› Issue (9): 1690-1702.doi: 10.18402/resci.2019.09.10

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Multiscale analysis of poverty creation for farming households in different geographical environments: A case study of Henan Province

GAO Junbo1,YU Chao1,GE Dazhuan2(),CHEN Jianhua1   

  1. 1. College of Geographic Sciences / The Center of Targeted Poverty Alleviation and Rural Revitalization, Xinyang Normal University, Xinyang 464000, China
    2. College of Geography, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, China
  • Received:2019-03-08 Revised:2019-06-11 Online:2019-09-25 Published:2019-09-25
  • Contact: GE Dazhuan E-mail:gedazhuan@163.com

Abstract:

Multiscale exploration of the poverty-inducing factors of farming households in different geographical environments is of great significance for revealing the causes of rural poverty and improving the effectiveness of poverty reduction. Based on the hierarchical linear model and multidimensional data on poverty, the differences of poverty-inducing factors of farming households in Henan Province and their mechanisms are comparatively studied. The spatial scales include household, village, and county, and the geographical environments cover plain region, hilly areas, and mountain land. The results show that: (1) There are significant differences in the poverty-inducing factors at various spatial scales. For Henan Province as a whole, 82.0% of the poverty variances can be explained at the household scale, while 10.6% and 7.4% can be explained at the village and county scales, respectively. The main poverty-inducing factors concentrate at the household scale under all geographical environment conditions. Factors at the village scale play a more important role in leading to poverty than at the county scale. (2) Poverty-inducing factors differ significantly in different geographical environments. Dependency burden with children, income dependence on planting, and dependence on transferable payments are the main poverty-inducing factors for poor farming households. The direct poverty-inducing factors in plain areas are high medical expenses and dependency burden with children. Income dependence on planting is the key poverty-inducing factor in hilly and mountainous areas. (3) The macro-background of farming households’ poverty is the geographical and geomorphological conditions and agriculture-related investments at the county scale. Income dependence on traditional agriculture and heavier family burden are individual factors for poverty. The average elevation of villages and the amount of per capita arable land have aggravated the effect of individual factors. (4) Regional poverty reduction policies should not only emphasize the regional differences at the county level, but also pay attention to the characteristics of households and villages. The dominant position of farmers in overcoming poverty should be supported, and the demand-oriented policy system of poverty reduction and implementation need to be improved.

Key words: hierarchical linear model, geographical environment, mechanism of poverty, multiscale effects, rural revitalization, poverty-stricken farming households, Henan Province