Spatiotemporal Evolution and Influential Factors of Rural Poverty in Poverty-Stricken Areas of Guizhou Province: Implications for Consolidating the Achievements of Poverty Alleviation

Abstract

China has made remarkable reductions in absolute poverty. However, pressing questions remain of how to consolidate the existing achievements of poverty alleviation and prevent rural households from regressing back into poverty, especially in continuously poverty-stricken areas. This paper explores the spatiotemporal evolution of rural poverty and its influential factors under different poverty standards in three continuously poverty-stricken areas in Guizhou Province using 2003–2017 panel data and the spatiotemporal analysis method. The results show that decreasing poverty is an apparent spatial heterogeneity and there are area differences in the different research periods. The degrees of the average annual poverty reductions of all research counties were between 2.98–10.09%, 10.60–26.96%, and 11.46–43.19% in 2003–2007, 2008–2010, and 2011–2017, respectively; the poverty-stricken counties with high rates of poverty reduction are often adjacent to the nonpoverty-stricken counties. Influential factors vary in different areas over time, which is the result of the combination of leading influential factors (economy) and various influencing factors (natural location, social development, and education/labor) with regional characteristics. Although the effect of natural location on rural poverty in the research area is decreasing, its impact should not be ignored. Considering the complexity of poverty’s influential factors and the dependence on poverty alleviation policies, it’s essential for China to continue to strengthen its targeting of poverty in the continuously poverty-stricken areas, especially the counties in the inner areas. Devoting to building the coordination of regional development and ecological environment protection is an important way to achieve sustainable development goals with higher quality in the continuously poverty-stricken areas.