Assessing the role of risk in the agro-pastoral systems of Northwest Yunnan Province, China

Agro-pastoral communities in northwest Yunnan province, China, face many types of risk, including climatic variations, price fluctuation, etc. State policies also have an impact on households by lifting or imposing various constraints, and thereby creating further uncertainty. These households must manage their risk-environment as part of their livelihoods based on their perceptions of the risk events. However, some risk-coping strategies are likely to have aggravated households' vulnerability in the long-run by degrading some forms of asset when reducing their risk exposure in the short-run. This study uses the Sustainable Livelihood framework to explore the relationship between risks, assets, livelihoods, and sustainability in the agro-pastoral systems of Northwest Yunnan. During May-August 2004, the research team visited 16 hamlets with 159 agro-pastoral households and 32 groups. Results were generated from the household questionnaire and focus groups. The purpose is to inform policy on effective disaster relief measurements and poverty reduction programs.