Understanding Sustainable Livelihoods with a Framework Linking Livelihood Vulnerability and Resilience in the Semiarid Loess Plateau of China

Wenli Ye, Yin Wang, Xinjun Yang () and Kongsen Wu
Additional contact information
Wenli Ye: Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Earth Surface System and Environmental Carrying Capacity, Northwest University, Xi’an 710127, China
Yin Wang: College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Northwest University, Xi’an 710127, China
Xinjun Yang: Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Earth Surface System and Environmental Carrying Capacity, Northwest University, Xi’an 710127, China
Kongsen Wu: College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Northwest University, Xi’an 710127, China

Land, 2022, vol. 11, issue 9, 1-14

Abstract: Regional climate is complicated and unpredictable in the context of global climate change. Farmers on the Loess Plateau, who rely on agriculture and natural resources for subsistence, are one of the groups feeling the early effects of climate change. Their vulnerability is determined by their degree of connection with the natural environment. Frequent droughts on the Loess Plateau have severely challenged farmers’ livelihoods, although some actions have been taken to adapt to these changes. To enable farmers to find sustainable livelihood strategies in challenging natural conditions, we established a research framework to link livelihood vulnerability and resilience and applied it to Jiaxian County, a specific research area in the Loess Plateau of China. To validate previous research, we studied the fluctuation trends of farmers’ livelihood vulnerability and livelihood resilience in the past 30 years and the interrelationships between these two trends and their influencing factors. The results are as follows: since 1990, livelihood vulnerability has been polarized; however, moderate vulnerability has always been dominant. Livelihood resilience shows a trend of continuous enhancement. The relationship between livelihood vulnerability and resilience is complex, and the direction of change between the two can be both similar and different. The topography, arable land conditions, soil quality, and irrigation conditions in different areas impact vulnerability and resilience, and the degree of impact is different in different periods. Farmers’ livelihood strategies depend on their cognitive decision making and livelihood assets, which are critical vulnerability and resilience factors. Most farmers in the study area have undergone significant livelihood strategy changes, while some maintain their original livelihood strategies. These findings provide policy implications for reducing vulnerability, enhancing resilience, and helping smallholder farmers find sustainable livelihood strategies to avoid poverty traps.

Keywords: farmers’ livelihood; vulnerability; resilience; the Loess Plateau; China (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/11/9/1500/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/11/9/1500/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jlands:v:11:y:2022:i:9:p:1500-:d:908812

Access Statistics for this article

Land is currently edited by Ms. Carol Ma

More articles in Land from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().