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Whether or not reduction of natural capital should be a focus in assessing relocation policies is addressed by investigating a resettlement project for disaster prevention (also for poverty alleviation) in Baihe County in western China. Using multiple linear regression, the associations between livelihood assets (including natural capital) and the acceptance of relocation policies are examined. Two index systems are employed to measure resettlers' livelihoods and policy acceptance. Livelihood assets are shown to have a positive relationship with resettlers' acceptance of relocation policies. Of the five indicators of livelihood assets, higher physical, social, human and financial capital correlate with increased policy acceptance, while natural capital does not. This suggests that reducing or losing natural resources does not necessarily increase the risk of impoverishment in the process of resettlement. Land-based resettlement could be an option but is not indispensable for the livelihood maintenance of resettlers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using data from a survey in Ankang district of Shaanxi province of China in 2011, this article examines the protective effect of the New Rural Social Pension (NRSP) on quality of life of rural elders, as well the moderating effect on association between family structure and quality of life. An instrumental variable approach is used. NRSP is shown to significantly improve the quality of life of rural elders, and a robustness check shows that this effect is consistent across different sets of subgroups. Compared with the elders who have at least one son, the quality of life of those who are childless or have only one child is significantly lower. The NRSP is more likely to significantly improve the quality of life of one-child elders. In addition, the associations between the NRSP and the different facets of quality of life of the elders are significant except for the facet of sensory abilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The number of elderly in China’s population is projected to grow well beyond the capacity of the nation’s social security system. Meanwhile, family care is being challenged by a decline in fertility and an increase in migration from rural to urban areas. This article examines the short-term, mid-term, and long-term effects of family support on elderly well-being in rural China, using 4-wave panel data on 1456 persons aged 60 and older in the Chaohu region of China. Findings showed that compared with living alone, being coresident with others lowered the mortality risk of several chronic diseases, but being coresident with adult children increased the mortality risk of cardiovascular diseases, though it was associated with a higher quality of life in the short and middle terms. Children’s educational attainment and financial support increased the quality of life except for an increased risk of new incidence of cardiovascular disease in the middle term. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]