Evalutation of forestation and rural development by the 'Grain for Green' project in Chinese Loess Plateau

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 23401004
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 海外学術
• Research Field: Human geography
• Research Institution: Kyushu University
• Principal Investigator: SATO Renya 九州大学, 比較社会文化研究科(研究院), 准教授 (20293938)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): NAWATA Hiroshi 秋田大学, 国際資源学部, 教授 (30397848)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): MATSUNAGA Kohei 慶應義塾大学, 大学院政策・メディア研究科, 特任講師 (80548214)
• Project Period (FY): 2011-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 地理学 / 生態学 / 農村経済学 / 退耕還林 / 黄土高原

Outline of Final Research Achievements

More than 10 years have past since Chinese government started the Grain for Green project in 1999, for environmental restoration mainly in upper and middle reaches of Huang He and Chang Jiang. The policy is characterized by aiming at not only environmental restoration by large-scale afforestation in the catchment area but also promoting development of rural economy through land reclamation and promotion of alternative development projects instead of giving up steep slope cultivation among villages conducting the Grain for Green project. This study preliminarily elucidates present conditions of forestation as well as household economy among rural villages in several districts of Yan’an City with special references to alternative development projects and villagers’ incomes, based on field observation and interviews conducted in 2011-2014. The result indicates that there are regional differences in the consequences of forestation as well as rural development plans.

Free Research Field

地理学