Western China features a vast area of mountains and high plateaus where millions of people, including diverse ethnic minority groups, have inhabited for generations. Geographically located in the mountainous, remote, and isolated regions, rural communities are prone to natural hazards and thus become vulnerable to impoverishment. To reduce rural vulnerability, many people residing in mountainous villages opted to out-migrate from their original villages and hometowns while some took in-situ adaptation measures. A host of government-sponsored resettlement programs have been carried out to help rural villagers seek alternative livelihoods elsewhere over the past four decades. To achieve a sustainable future for rural communities in mountainous areas of western China, more effective policies and measures need to be developed and enforced. © 2022 The Authors