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A Geographical Analysis of the Poverty Causes in China’s Contiguous Destitute Areas

Author

Listed:
  • Yuan Tian

    (Institutes of Science and Development, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China)

  • Zheng Wang

    (Institutes of Science and Development, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
    School of Geographic Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China)

  • Jincai Zhao

    (School of Geographic Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China)

  • Xuan Jiang

    (School of Geographic Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China)

  • Rongxing Guo

    (Information School, Capital University of Economics and Business, Beijing 100026, China)

Abstract

One of the most critical development problems in China is the existence of a considerable number of contiguous destitute areas (also known as regional poverty), and the causes behind such regional poverty might structurally differ by geographical characteristics. To deal with the problem, this paper, based on the “Three Nature” theory of New Economic Geography, first establishes an analytical index system of poverty causes, and then uses the gray relational method to identify the causes of poverty in 14 contiguous destitute areas. The results show that, at present, the main poverty causes in the mountain areas in eastern part of China, such as the Dabie mountain area, the Yanshan-Taihang mountain area and the southern Greater Khingan mountain area, are the shortage of human capital and information technology. In contrast, the main factors behind regional poverty in the central mountain areas such as the LuoXiao mountain area, the Lvliang mountain area and the Wuling mountain area are poor transport, locational and other natural factors. The western mountain regions such as Tibet, Tibetan areas in four provinces, South Xinjiang’s three districts and the West Yunnan border area are especially affected by natural endowments, but each area’s specific cause for poverty is different from one another. Finally, this paper discusses relevant policy issues regarding the fact that poverty causes are different by distinct natural factors.

Suggested Citation

  • Yuan Tian & Zheng Wang & Jincai Zhao & Xuan Jiang & Rongxing Guo, 2018. "A Geographical Analysis of the Poverty Causes in China’s Contiguous Destitute Areas," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-16, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:6:p:1895-:d:150912
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Anh Tuan Bui & Mardi Dungey & Cuong Viet Nguyen & Thu Phuong Pham, 2014. "The impact of natural disasters on household income, expenditure, poverty and inequality: evidence from Vietnam," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 46(15), pages 1751-1766, May.
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    4. Minot, Nicholas & Baulch, Bob, 2005. "Spatial patterns of poverty in Vietnam and their implications for policy," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 30(5-6), pages 461-475.
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    2. Luo, Jay, 2019. "Poverty alleviation research in rural China: Three decades and counting," SocArXiv gmuav, Center for Open Science.
    3. Wu, Wenjie & Zhe, Yang & Kim, Jun Hyung & Yue, Ai, 2023. "Effects of Early Childhood Climate on Cognitive Development and Home Environment," IZA Discussion Papers 16017, IZA Network @ LISER.
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    5. Zhiyin Wang & Jiansheng Cao & Chunyu Zhu & Hui Yang, 2020. "The Impact of Land Use Change on Ecosystem Service Value in the Upstream of Xiong’an New Area," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(14), pages 1-16, July.
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    7. Khairul Amri & Raja Masbar & B. S. Nazamuddin & Hasdi Aimon, 2024. "Does Unemployment Moderate the Effect of Government Expenditure on Poverty? A Cross-Provinces Data Evidence from Indonesia," Economic Studies journal, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences - Economic Research Institute, issue 2, pages 92-113.
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    9. Rui Chen & Fei Zhang & Ngai Weng Chan & Yishan Wang, 2023. "Multidimensional poverty measurement and spatial–temporal pattern analysis at county level in the arid area of Xinjiang, China," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 25(12), pages 13805-13824, December.
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    11. Huang, Zhongliang & Weng, Wenguo, 2020. "Analysis of geographical migration networks of bride trafficking crime from 2000 to 2018 in China," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 550(C).

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