title: Evaluation of the impact of the natural forest protection program on rural household livelihoods.
abstract: In this study, we estimated the impact on local household livelihoods of the Natural Forest Protection Program (NFPP), which is the largest logging-ban program in the world, which aims to protect watersheds and conserve natural forests. In doing so, we used a series of microeconometric policy-evaluation techniques to assess the impacts of the NFPP on two interrelated facets of household livelihoods: income and off-farm labor supply. We found that the NFPP has had a negative impact on incomes from timber harvesting but has actually had a positive impact on total household incomes from all sources. Furthermore, we found that off-farm labor supply outside the village has increased more rapidly in NFPP than in non-NFPP areas. Based on these results, policy implications for household livelihoods were drawn and are presented herein.
authors.affiliation: Department of Land Economy, University of Cambridge, 19 Silver Street, CB3 9EP Cambridge, UK. klmullan@ncsu.edu
authors.forename: Katrina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mullan
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kontoleon
authors.forename: Timothy M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Swanson
authors.forename: Shiqiu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture / Q000191:economics*; D002681:China; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources / Q000191:economics* / Q000379:methods; D017753:Ecosystem; D004651:Employment; D005191:Family Characteristics; D016468:Forestry / Q000191:economics*; D006801:Humans; D017059:Models, Econometric; D011640:Public Policy; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014872:Water Movements; D000078329:Workforce