Study On Livelihood Risks And Influencing Factors Of Residents In National Parks

Livelihood risk refers to the possibility of threats or losses to one’s livelihood.Livelihood risk runs throughout the entire process of residents’ production and life,and is a key issue affecting the sustainable development of residents’ livelihoods.The construction of national parks not only protects the natural ecological system but also prohibits production activities within the park boundaries,limiting the traditional livelihoods of surrounding residents.In addition,the sustainability of residents’ livelihoods is challenged by external risks such as natural disasters and fluctuations in crop prices.To protect the long-term development of residents around national parks,it is important to have a correct understanding of their livelihood capital and livelihood risk status,and to scientifically analyze the influencing factors of various livelihood risks.This has significant implications for reducing the vulnerability of residents’ livelihoods and improving their quality of life.This article focuses on the residents living around the Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park as research subjects.Based on previous research and field investigations,the article first describes the natural geography,socio-economic situation,construction of the national park,and its impact on the community.Secondly,a livelihood capital and risk evaluation index system is constructed,and participatory rural appraisal methods are used to conduct a field survey on the current status of residents’ livelihood capital and risk.Thirdly,the entropy method and comprehensive index method are used to assess the endowment of livelihood capital and risk level of residents in different livelihood strategy types(pure agricultural,agriculture and forestry-oriented,labor-oriented,and non-agricultural).A multiple linear regression model is used to analyze the factors influencing livelihood risk,and the impact of livelihood capital and the construction of the national park on livelihood risk are explained.Finally,suggestions for livelihood risk prevention in national park communities are proposed.The results show that:(1)The livelihood strategies of residents are mainly agriculture and forestry-oriented,labor-oriented,and the development of livelihoods is becoming more diversified.The overall livelihood capital is low,with a composite value ranging from 0.036 to 0.913.The capital is ranked in descending order as human capital,material capital,natural capital,financial capital,and social capital,with human capital being the lowest.There are significant differences in the composite value of livelihood capital among different livelihood strategies,with the labororiented,agriculture and forestry-oriented,pure agricultural,and non-agricultural strategies having the lowest to highest composite values,respectively.(2)The overall livelihood risk value of residents ranges from 0.042 to 0.873,and the types of livelihood risks are complex and intertwined.The order of risk level is information risk,financial risk,social risk,environmental risk,and health risk.The composite value of livelihood risk varies among different livelihood strategies,with non-agricultural,labor-oriented,pure agricultural,and agriculture and forestry-oriented strategies having the lowest to highest composite values,respectively.(3)Livelihood capital has a significant impact on livelihood risk.Natural capital has a positive impact on livelihood risk,while social and financial capital have a negative impact.Each dimension of livelihood capital has a significant impact on livelihood risk.The indicators of forest area,whether the household has village cadres,military personnel,civil servants,or enterprise employees,participation in agricultural cooperatives,average annual income per capita,and the difficulty of borrowing/lending have a greater impact on livelihood risk.(4)The construction of the national park has a significant impact on livelihood risk.Resource utilization restrictions have a positive impact on financial,social,and information risks.Land use restrictions have a positive impact on financial risks.Employment/skills training has a negative impact on health,financial,social,and information risks.