| Vulnerability assessment provides a scientific basis for poverty reduction in vulnerable region, sustainable development and formulation of adaptive strategies.Although methods of vulnerability quantitative assessment of natural ecosystem are becoming mature, vulnerability quantitative assessment of region is very difficult due to complexity of man-land system. Studies on vulnerability start late in China.Earlier studies concern more on distribution of vulnerable areas but less on vulnerable people, which prevents the state and local governments from formulating scientific adaptive policies and measures. Tibet Plateau is a typical ecological fragile region. In recent years, the vulnerability of local households increases with multiple stresses such as the impact of climate change as well as the rapid growth of population and livestock in the area. In order to fully understand the degree,performance, and causes of the households' vulnerability.and to make right policies and measures aimed at improving local households' abilities in coping the risks of climate change, it is necessary to carry out vulnerability assessment in the region.Dari County,Banma County and Rangtang County which are located in the eastern of Tibet Plateau transfer from mountain gorge region to plateau region, from agro-pastoral region to pastoral region and contain the main ecosystem types and livelihood means of the eatern Tibet Plateau, and provide a uncommon transect for research.Selecting 11 typical towns in the area, guiding by the sustainable livelihoods framework, using houshold survey data in 2006,2007 and 2009, using "livelihood assets-risk-adaptation-vulnerability" as the interface, the differences of livelihood assets, risk and adaptive strategies among households of different landform region in study area are understood. On this basis, the paper builds vulnerability quantitative assessment indicator system, and then uses "vulnerability=risk-(livehood assets+adaptive strategies)" to assess the vulnerability of different towns in different landform region.The results show that:(1) the overall trend of the index value of households'livelihood assets in the study area reflects that the higher altitude, the lower value, that is mountain gorge region> mountain plateau region> plateau region.①the index value of human assets reflects that mountain gorge region> mountain plateau region> plateau region.②the index value of the arable land resource of the natural assets reflects that mountain gorge region> mountain plateau region> plateau region. The index value of the medicinal resources of the natural assets reflects that mountain gorge region< mountain plateau region< plateau region.③he index value of physical assets reflects that mountain gorge region< mountain plateau region< plateau region.④the index value of financial assets reflects that mountain gorge region is slightly higher than mountain plateau region and plateau area. (2) the overall trend of the index value of households' risk in the study area reflects that higher altitude, higher value,that is mountain gorge region< mountain plateau region< plateau region.①the index value of human assets risk reflects that mountain gorge region mountain plateau region> plateau region.The index value of autonomous adaptive strategies responding to reduction in grain output reflects that mountain plateau region> mountain gorge region> plateau region; the index value of autonomous adaptive strategies responding to grassland degradation and the death of livestock reflects unobvius law; the index value of autonomous adaptive strategies responding to degradation of medicines reflects that plateau region>mountain gorge region>mountain plateau region.The livelihood diversification index shows that mountain gorge region> mountain plateau region> plateau region.②combinations of adaptive stratigies are diversity among households. In mountain gorge region, there are 122 kinds of adaptive strategies combinations among 165 surveyed households.In mountain plateau region, there are 345 kinds of adaptive strategies combinations among 477 surveyed households.In plateau region, there are 159 kinds of adaptive strategies combinations among 237 surveyed households. Whether among different regions and in the same town, the choices of housholds'adaptive strategies are diversity. (4) the overall trend of the index value of vulnerability shows that as the altitude increasing, the value of vulnerability also increases, that is, mountain gorge region< mountain plateau region< plateau region. The index values of Dengta town,Zongke town,Nanmuda town,Gaduo town and Zhongrangtang town are nagative, which reflect that the degree of these towns'vulnerability are slight and their adaptive abilities are stronge, and the index values of Shangrangtang town, Duogongma town, Wosai town, Manzhang town, Jianshe town and Sangrima town are positive, which reflect that the degree of these towns'vulnerability are severe and their adaptive abilities are week.(5) due to different performance of vulnerability and different factors leading to vulnerability, the strategies improving adaptive capacity of households and building sustainable livelihoods in 3 region are different. In addition to strengthening basic education, promoting free medical care and providing free-interest or low-interest loans for housholds, it should provide more employment opportunities of secondary-tertiary industries and popularize the animal husbandry science and technology in mountain gorge region and the lower part of mountain plateau region, and it should strengthen the settlements building and recovery of grasslands and herbs in the upper part of mountain plateau region and the plateau region.The paper using"livelihood assets-risk-adaptation-vulnerability" as the interface quantitatively assesses vulnerability of different landform regions in easten Tibet Plateau.lt provides a scientific basis for improving the resilience of local households and building sustainable livelihoods, and provides a reference for vulnerability quantitative assessment of other ecological fragile regions in our country. |
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