Beyond the Environmental Kuznets Curve: An Empirical Study Taking China’s Poverty Alleviation Campaign as a Quasi-Experiment

Abstract Poverty-stricken areas in China have the dual task of alleviating poverty and safeguarding national ecological security. Based on statistical surveys and satellite remote sensing data, we construct a staggered difference-in-difference model to empirically analyze the dual impact of poverty alleviation on the economic development and eco-environment of poverty-stricken areas. This study also examines viable pathways for economic development in poor areas in the context of ecological conservation. The results show that the poverty eradication campaign under the leadership of the Communist Party of China has significantly improved the rate of economic growth in poverty-stricken areas while also significantly improving the quality of the local eco-environment. Further analysis shows that ecological projects and ecological compensation make the greatest contribution to promoting the conversion of ecological resources into economic output in poverty-stricken areas. China’s successful experience in green poverty alleviation can not only provide important policy enlightenment for the nation’s continuation of its comprehensive revitalization drive in rural areas, but also provide new options for other developing countries to achieve their green take-off.