How to restore the livelihood resilience of the rural vulnerable? Evidence from 1,356 households in rural China

Effectively identifying and restoring the livelihood resilience of rural vulnerable populations are essential for consolidating poverty alleviation achievements. Previous studies have focused on low-income populations and have classified assistance for monitoring rural vulnerability. However, little research has defined the rural vulnerable and their key influencing factors from a multi-dimensional perspective. This paper constructs an indicator system for monitoring the return to poverty from a multi-dimensional perspective, based on survey data from rural households in poverty-stricken areas in 2005 and 2015. The dual cut-off method is used to identify the rural vulnerable and their key influencing factors from a multi-dimensional perspective. The results show that: (1) The incidence of multi-dimensional poverty has significantly decreased from 2005 to 2015; However, a vulnerable group still exists in rural China in 2015, and types of multi-dimensional poverty vary among regions. (2) Geographical environment and social resources are the primary influencing factors of rural vulnerability, followed by living standards. Income remains an important influencing factor of severe multi-dimensional poverty. (3) To restore the livelihood resilience of the rural vulnerable, targeted policies should be implemented based on influencing factors such as geographical environment and social resources. This study has significant reference value for policy implementation aimed at restoring the livelihood resilience of the rural vulnerable.