Adapting Together: Climate Change and Gendered Adjustments of Intra-household Labor Allocation in Rural China

Fei XIE , The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou)

Climate change poses unpredictable challenges to rural livelihoods, particularly in regions where farming is the primary source of income. This study examines how rural households in China adapt to extreme weather events through intra-household labor allocation, with particular attention to gendered adjustments. Based on panel data from the China National Rural Fixed Point Survey and matched meteorological records from 2009 to 2017, we apply fixed-effects logit models to estimate the association between extreme weather and (i) households’ reliance on farming income and (ii) individuals’ involvement in farm work. Results show that, at the household level, more extreme heat days in the previous year reduces households’ reliance on farming, while extreme cold and rainfall increase households’ farming engagement. Within households, women exhibit a stronger shift away from farm work in response to prior extreme rainfall and drought than men. Specifically, extreme rainfall tends to keep men in farming, whereas extreme drought significantly encourages women to move into non-farm work. These findings highlight the critical role of intra-household, gendered labor reallocation as a key adaptive strategy for rural households in China to mitigate climate shocks.

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 Presented in Session P7. Education, Labor Market, and Economic Issues