The Impact of the Establishment of the Mount Wuyi National Park on the Livelihood of Farmers

Abstract

The construction of national parks has a profound impact on the production and life of surrounding farmers. Based on the survey data of 354 farmers around the Mount Wuyi National Park, this paper uses the method of constructing a difference-in-difference model to analyze the impact of the Mount Wuyi National Park construction on the livelihood choices of surrounding farmers and the main income of families. In addition, this article analyzes the heterogeneity of surrounding farmers based on differences in tea planting area and farmers’ income levels. The results show the following: First, compared with pre-establishment, farmers around the Mount Wuyi National Park still prefer tea-based agricultural employment or part-time employment. Second, after the establishment of the Mount Wuyi National Park, the main income of surrounding farmers’ families is still agricultural income. Therefore, the authors of this article believe that it is necessary to further strengthen the protection of the livelihoods of surrounding farmers and moderately create more livelihood choices for surrounding farmers in order to achieve both ecological and economic benefits.

Can the Establishment of National Parks Promote the Coordinated Development of Land, the Environment, and Residents’ Livelihoods?

“…The forest ecological space expanded by 1.378 km 2 , while the grassland ecological space decreased by 0.04 km 2 . The water ecosystem also experienced a steady decline, amounting to a total reduction of 2.504 km 2 . The geographical layout of the PLES in Wuyishan National Park underwent notable alterations between 2008 and 2015, with a tendency to level off from 2015 to 2023.…”

“…Tea cultivation on the land serves both agricultural and environmental roles, and because the tea sector is a hallmark of Wuyishan National Park, it would attract the villagers' keen interest. Presently, the majority of tea cultivators cultivate tea primarily due to its substantial economic advantages [2,43], often overlooking its ecological safeguarding impact. Therefore, the national park management department must amplify awareness about ecological conservation, raise local consciousness about eco-friendly development, delve deeper into methods to encourage the refurbishment of tea mountains and the creation of ecological tea gardens, and prevent indiscriminate growth.…”

“…National parks are an essential component of the global natural reserve system, exerting significant influences on the economic and social development, as well as the ecological environment, of the surrounding areas [1,2]. The coordinated development of regions is significantly influenced by three key factors: the utilization of land, peoples' livelihoods, and the environmental conditions [3].…”

“…Situated on the southeastern edge of the northern part of the Wuyi Mountains, Nanping City, a prefecture-level city within Fujian Province's jurisdiction, lies at the convergence of Fujian, Zhejiang, and Jiangxi provinces. With an area of 26,300 km 2 , it is Fujian Province's largest prefecture-level city. Presently, it manages two districts (Yanping and Jiangyang) and five counties (Shunchang, Pucheng, Guangze, Songxi, and Zhenhe), and Situated on the southeastern edge of the northern part of the Wuyi Mountains, Nanping City, a prefecture-level city within Fujian Province's jurisdiction, lies at the convergence of Fujian, Zhejiang, and Jiangxi provinces.…”

“…In contrast, urban and rural areas experienced a steady decline, shrinking by 0.006 km 2 and 0.433 km 2 , respectively. The forest ecological space expanded by 1.378 km 2 , while the grassland ecological space decreased by 0.04 km2 . The water ecosystem also experienced a steady decline, amounting to a total reduction of 2.504 km 2 .…”