By Cheng Yu, Wang Haiqin, Zhuo Xian & Ruan Rongping, Research Team on “Chinese People’s Livelihood”, DRC

Research Report, No.103, 2019 (Total 5603) 2019-7-1

Abstract: According to the questionnaire survey findings collected from rural households on people’s livelihood concerns conducted by DRC research team in 2018, obvious defects could be found in rural areas relating to village roads, housing conditions, sewage treatment and safe drinking water. Travel inconvenience is the primary factor that disturbs rural residents’ life; rural houses in some areas need to be renovated, and inappropriate toilet facilities greatly affect the quality of rural life; people in rural areas of northern China are seriously troubled by heating problems in winter time. Rural domestic sewage generally lacks proper treatment, garbage disposal is a problem in some areas, and some rural areas have no access to safe drinking water. The implementation of rural revitalization strategy and the improvement of rural living environment need to focus on the weak points mentioned above so as to overcome the shortcomings relating to rural living environment. Therefore, it is necessary to upgrade rural roads, renovate rural dilapidated houses, take proper measures for rural waste treatment and sewage disposal, as well as the improvement of toilet facilities in accordance with local conditions, further advance safe drinking water projects, and push ahead rationally with the projects of clean heating in northern China.

Key words: people’s livelihood concerns, household survey, rural living environment, shortcoming