Determinants of rural households' afforestation program participation: Evidence from China's Ningxia and Sichuan provinces

This study surveyed households to understand their willingness to participate in afforestation programs in Ningxia and Sichuan and also strove to understand the incentives for rural households to participate in afforestation activities and to make suggestions for the improvement of afforestation preferential policies. According to the survey, most households are willing to participate in afforestation, but only a minority of households have been aware of the details of afforestation preferential policies. Thus, there is still work for the government to do. Based on our analysis of the factors influencing households' willingness to participate in afforestation, policy suggestions are provided. First, the government should reinforce policy promotion. Second, the government should choose the most responsible region to plant trees and consider the impact on environmental and human development. Third, central and local forest divisions should manage rural households’ expectations through a series of policy measures tailored to increase the confidence of rural households. Finally, the government should be cautious about unconditionally financing forest management activities. Keywords: Willingness, Afforestation, Subsidy, Multinomial logit, Chin