The Impact and Mechanism of National Park Construction on County-Level Livelihood and Well-Being—A Case Study in Wuyishan National Park, China

Exploring the impact of national park construction on county-level livelihood and well-being holds significant implications for enhancing social livelihood. This study treats Wuyishan National Park Construction (WNPC) as a quasi-natural experiment, utilizing panel data from 138 counties (2011–2023) to construct a county-level livelihood and well-being index through the CRITIC weighting method. Kernel density estimation and the Theil index are applied to depict the spatiotemporal dynamics of WNPC. Moreover, the difference-in-differences model and mediating effect model are employed to assess the impact and mechanisms of WNPC on livelihood and well-being. The results reveal that, in the period 2011–2023, livelihood and well-being scores ranged from 0.1329 to 0.4565, indicating considerable scope for improvement. Over time, inter-county disparities narrowed, displaying a spatial pattern of “higher in the east and west, lower in the middle.” Overall disparities remained pronounced, driven chiefly by within-region variation, and Jiangxi displayed notably larger internal gaps than Fujian and Zhejiang. Benchmark regressions confirm that WNPC significantly improved livelihood and well-being, with robust results according to multiple tests. Mechanism analysis indicates that WNPC enhances livelihood and well-being by promoting population mobility and improving infrastructure. Heterogeneity analysis suggests that compared to industrial counties, WNPC has a stronger positive effect on the livelihood and well-being of agricultural counties. Based on this, it is suggested that WNPC promotes population mobility and improves infrastructure construction. This study provides a scientific basis and decision-making reference for achieving high-quality construction of national parks and enhancing livelihood and well-being.