Environment-related resettlement in China: A case study of the Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan Province

Abstract

Environment-related migration in China is shaped by a complex set of factors and their interactions. The central question addressed in this study is: how does economic well-being at the household level change after displacement and what shapes it? Based on a survey of households displaced in the Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province between 2004 and 2009, the study demonstrates that livelihood reconstruction is influenced by a mixture of household, institutional and community contextual factors. Government-led resettlement could be an effective approach to diversifying livelihood and building the future resilience of households to rural poverty and environmental change. The study contributes to the discussion on economic outcomes of resettlement due to environmental change, which can assist in suggesting how to improve the economic well-being of the recently resettled populations. Further resettlement action and policy measures need to be adjusted based on a more comprehensive understanding of the variety of factors that affect people’s overall well-being to develop better ways to ensure improved livelihoods and long-term well-being of the displaced.