Migrants selectivity and the effects on environmental-induced migration project in Sanjiangyuan area in China

Xiangjing Meng, Renmin University of China

Sanjiangyuan area is located in Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai Province in China. It’s the source of Yangtze river, Huanghe River and Lancangjiang river. Since the ecological environment became worse in recent decades, Qinghai government conducted an environmental migration project to move the herdsman out of Sanjiangyuan area to protect the environment. From 2005 to 2009, nearly 50 thousand herdsmen and their family have moved out from the pastoral area and were resettled in places near cities, towns or county capitals. Who migrated? Do there have selectivity between migrants and non-migrants? Does the selectivity have any effect on the efficiency of the project? Using the data we collected in 5 environmental migration resettlement villages in 2009 and the basic information of the non-migrants, the index of migration differences will be calculated to examine the differences between them. The policy implication will also be discussed in this paper.