Influence of Nature Reserves on the Energy Consumption Structure of Local Farmers

Abstract

The energy consumption of farmers residing around nature reserves is an important factor that affects the coordinated development of nature reserves and the surrounding communities. The optimization of the energy consumption structure of farmers around nature reserves is important for maintaining the resources and environment of nature reserves and saving natural resources. Based on the microscopic survey data for the energy consumption structure of 956 rural households around six nature reserves in Liaoning province, a multiple linear regression model was used in this study to match tendency scores and empirically examine the impacts of regulatory policies of nature reserves on the energy consumption of rural households in Liaoning province. In addition, the influence of the income and environmental cognition of farmers on the energy consumption of rural households around nature reserves was examined. The results showed that the regulatory policies of the nature reserves were conducive to reducing the traditional biomass energy consumption of the farmers. The nature reserves indirectly affect the energy consumption of the farmers by influencing their income, and cognition plays an important role in reducing the traditional biomass energy consumption of farmers in nature reserves. Compared with provincial nature reserves, national nature reserves have a more evident impact on the energy consumption of farmers. Based on the empirical results, farmers should be encouraged to reduce their high-pollution and high-emission energy consumption activities and should be provided with technical support and financial subsidies for clean energy, such as solar energy and biogas. The following measures should be taken to maintain the ecological environment of the nature reserves and to reduce the contradiction between the nature reserves and farmers: supervise the coal quality in the surrounding areas of nature reserves, improve the non-agricultural employment ability of farmers around nature reserves and the photovoltaic poverty alleviation project in Liaoning province, increase the income of farmers and promote the energy consumption of farmers around nature reserves, strengthen the management of provincial nature reserves, promptly change the traditional idea of ‘depend on the mountain and water’ adopted by farmers, improve the environmental awareness of farmers residing around nature reserves, and advocate green energy consumption.