How geographic accessibility and rural governance mitigate the impact of multiple risks on rural households' well-being: Evidence from the Dabie Mountains in China

Despite previous studies on the interconnectedness of livelihood risks and human well-being, limited emphasis has been placed on the influence of geographic accessibility and rural governance on the well-being of rural households. Furthermore, the interplay between geographic accessibility, rural governance, and livelihood risk remains inadequately explored. Based on 522 household samples collected in the Dabie Mounand ordinary least squares regression, this study examines the influence of multiple risks on the subjective well-being of rural households by investigating the moderating roles played by geographic accessibility and rural governance. The results show that(1) multiple risk factors have a significant negative effect on rural households’ well-being(β=-0.219, p<0.01);(2) geographic accessibility has a weak positive effect on rural households’ well-being(β=0.064, p<0.1) compared to rural governance, which plays a larger positive role(β=0.228, p<0.01); and(3) geographic accessibility has a significant moderating effect on the relationship between multiple risks and rural households’ well-being, decreasing the adverse impact of multiple risks on households’ well-being. Our findings suggest that geographic accessibility and rural governance have positive implications for enhancing the well-being of rural households. The findings provide policy insight into mitigating livelihood risks and their negative impacts on household well-being in mountainous regions worldwide.