Analysis Of Farmers' Livelihood Risk In An Ecologically Vulnerable Alpine Region

Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture is an important water conservation of Yangtze River and Yellow River as well as one of the main Tibetan settlements,but with a sharp increase in population in Rural and Pastoral areas,plowland and grassland ecosystem have been destroyed,so that farmers and herdsmen here fall into the “dilemma” of ecological degradation and livelihood decline.There have always been kinds of livelihood risks in the environment,and the farmers are faced with the serious livelihood risk,which has aggravated the farmers' livelihood vulnerability.Through stratified random sampling survey,particularly rural appraisal and investigation of plot,539 households are investigated and sampled.Based on the investigation data,we identify the main livelihood risks which the farmers faced with and their risk coping strategy,and analyze the factors that affect the farmers' risk and coping strategy choice and the effect of informal risk sharing behavior by using the Binary-Logistic model.The results show:(1)The health risk,education risk,employment risk and nature risk have been the main livelihood risks which the farmers are facing in the Gannan Plateau,however there are differences among different types of farmers.Among them,natural,health and employment risk have been the main livelihood risks for farmers which in pure pastoring area and same as farmers in farming area and semi-planting-pasturing area;however,Education and health risk have been the main livelihood risks which the pure agriculture household?the off-farm dependent and the off-farm household are faced;in addition to this,low?middle and high income household select to health and education risk as the most worried livelihood risks.Household who located in different areas,have different livelihood capital,and the livelihood risks are also different.Nature risk is mainly affected by natural,material and social capital,education risk is mainly affected by human,material and financial capital,employment risk is mainly affected by human,material and social capital,and health risk is mainly affected by material,financial and social capital.(2)Risk response strategy is not only the bridge which resist livelihood risk effectively,but also the important method for sustainable livelihood.The main risk coping strategy include dissaving,asking relatives and friends for help,reducing consumption and going out to work.Dissaving is mainly affected by financial,human and social capital,asking relatives and friends for help is mainly affected by financial,natural and human capital,reducing consumption is mainly affected by social,financial and natural capital,and going out to work is mainly affected by material,financial,natural and human capital.(3)Promoting the tightness degree and supporting capability of the farmers' social network will increase the odds of informal risk sharing behavior.Moreover,increasing the size and supporting capacity of the farmers' social network will contribute to smooth consumption.