Effects of disaster-related resettlement on the livelihood resilience of rural households in China

The concept of resilience and, more explicitly, livelihood resilience, is gaining attention within academia and global development. Measuring livelihood resilience and understanding the effects of specific disturbances, such as relocation and resettlement, on livelihood resilience are pressing needs. However, few comprehensive empirical examples have linked disaster-related resettlement with livelihood resilience. The purpose of this paper is to measure household livelihood resilience (HLR) and to respond to the need for more integrated empirical evidence regarding the impacts of disaster-related resettlement on livelihood resilience. Through fieldwork in Ankang Prefecture, Shaanxi Province, China, a total of 657 quantitative household surveys were administered at the end of 2015. Utilizing household livelihood resilience, the present study explores the effect of disaster-related resettlement on household livelihood resilience. The results suggest that household livelihood resilience varies between relocated and nonrelocated respondents. Relocated respondents reported lower resilience scores. Further data analysis indicates that participation in disaster-related resettlement has a significant negative impact on household livelihood resilience. This research deepens the understanding of how governments improve livelihoods in disaster resettlement sites. The application and examination of HLR also offer methodological contributions to disaster management and community development.