How do household crop and livestock production adapt to extreme climatic events? —Insights from a typical agro-pastoral ecotone on the QinghaiTibet Plateau

Abstract

The increased threat of more frequent extreme climatic events (ECEs) poses significant challenges to household crops and livestock production, exacerbated by their weak adaptability. To explore ways to improve households’ adaptation awareness and behaviors, a typical agro-pastoral ecotone on the northeastern QinghaiTibet Plateau (QTP), Gonghe Sandy Land (GSL), was selected as the study area. This study analyses the impact of ECEs, and the adaptation measures taken by households, and innovatively includes the perception of government services from households in the factor system to identify the key driving mechanism of coping strategies. The results revealed that (1) 74.07 % of households experienced an extreme drought, and livestock production was 29.63 % more affected than crop production was; (2) households adopted different adaptation strategies with weather forecasts being the prevailing measure among households for crop (25.93 %) and livestock (42.33 %) production adaptation; and (3) different strategies are key to improving adaptive capacity. We found that production experience sharing, demographic and economic coordination, and early warning system and support by the government can increase farmers' awareness of adaptation strategies. While enhancing cognitive levels regarding measures, optimizing a household’s health, rationally allocating assets, and increasing timely and stable government services can improve adaptive behaviors. On the basis of these findings, this study provides recommendations from the perspective of human well-being, with the aim to achieving the SDGs, enhancing regional climate change adaptation capacity and ensuring the safety and efficiency of crop and livestock production in the QTP.