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The Impact of China’s Grain for Green Program on Rural Economy and Precipitation: A Case Study of Yan River Basin in the Loess Plateau

Author

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  • Biyun Guo

    (Marine Science and Technology College, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan 316022, Zhejiang, China
    State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai University, Xining 810016, Qinghai, China)

  • Taiping Xie

    (Rural Economy Institute, Tongling University, Tongling 244000, Anhui, China)

  • M.V. Subrahmanyam

    (Marine Science and Technology College, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan 316022, Zhejiang, China)

Abstract

Large-scale deforestation and abandoned planting will bring about the destruction of the ecological environment and the deterioration of the climate. In 1999, China initiated its “Grain for Green” Program (GGP) to improve the ecological environment, control soil erosion, and adjust the agricultural industrial structure to promote the sustainable development of the rural economy. In this paper, economic statistics, rainfall, and remote sensing data are used to analyze the impact of the GGP on agricultural and rural economic development and regional precipitation in the hilly and gully regions of the Loess Plateau. The results show that since the implementation of the program, the employment structure of the labor force has changed and the regional economic growth and farmers’ income have increased. From 2000 to 2016, the total gross domestic product (GDP) and per capita GDP of the Yan River Basin increased. The conversion of large-scale sloping farmland to forestry and grassland resulted in the decrease of farmland area and the increase of forestry area. The maximum, minimum, and mean value of vegetation coverage increased year by year. With the increase of vegetation coverage, the surface roughness, soil water content, and evapotranspiration improved and annual average precipitation grew significantly after the implementation of the program (2000 to 2018). From 1970 to the implementation of the project (1999), the annual average rainfall decreased at the trough from 1988 to 1999, and there was an overall upward trend from 1970 to 2018. The GGP has an important impact on the economy and people’s income in the Yan River Basin, and the vegetation change caused by the variation of land use types has a certain impact on regional rainfall. Under the background of global and regional climate change, it is of great significance to fully understand the impacts of vegetation conversion on climate and its mechanism for objective assessment of driving factors in regional and global climate, as well as for scientific planning of future land use.

Suggested Citation

  • Biyun Guo & Taiping Xie & M.V. Subrahmanyam, 2019. "The Impact of China’s Grain for Green Program on Rural Economy and Precipitation: A Case Study of Yan River Basin in the Loess Plateau," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(19), pages 1-18, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:11:y:2019:i:19:p:5336-:d:271304
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Jiahui Zhou & Peng Gao & Changxue Wu & Xingmin Mu, 2023. "Analysis of Land Use Change Characteristics and Its Driving Forces in the Loess Plateau: A Case Study in the Yan River Basin," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-20, August.
    2. Iuliana Vijulie & Mihaela Preda & Ana Irina Lequeux-Dincă & Roxana Cuculici & Elena Matei & Alina Mareci & Gabriela Manea & Anca Tudoricu, 2019. "Economic Productivity vs. Ecological Protection in Danube Floodplain. Case Study: Danube’s Sector between Olt and Vedea," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(22), pages 1-20, November.
    3. Yingjuan Li & Qiong Lin & Jianyu Zhang & Liuhua Fang & Yi Li & Lianjun Zhang & Chuanhao Wen, 2023. "Convergence Analysis of the Overall Benefits of Returning Farmland into Forest in the Upper Yangtze River Basin, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-18, January.
    4. Caixia Hou & Mengmeng Zhang & Mengmeng Wang & Hanliang Fu & Mengjie Zhang, 2021. "Factors Influencing Grazing Behavior by Using the Consciousness-Context-Behavior Theory—A Case Study from Yanchi County, China," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-16, October.

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