Livelihood Sustainability of Herder Households in North Tibet, China

Huixia Zou, Shaowei Li, Huiyuan Zou, Wei Sun, Yingnan Niu and Chengqun Yu
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Huixia Zou: Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modelling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, A11 Datun Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China
Shaowei Li: Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modelling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, A11 Datun Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China
Huiyuan Zou: Research Institute for Global Value Chains, University of International Business and Economics, Beijing 100029, China
Wei Sun: Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modelling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, A11 Datun Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China
Yingnan Niu: University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
Chengqun Yu: Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modelling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, A11 Datun Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 9, 1-14

Abstract: The livelihood sustainability of rural residents has attracted a great deal of attention across the globe, especially in remote mountain areas. In this study, we interviewed 696 householders who were randomly selected from ‘Changtang’ (also called ‘North Tibet’), Tibetan Autonomous Region, China. Under the sustainable livelihood index (SLI) framework, we evaluated the livelihood sustainability of herder households and examined the differences between low- and high-sustainability groups. Our findings revealed the following: (1) The livelihood sustainability of all herder households was generally low; low-sustainability households accounted for 87.07% of the samples. (2) Social, human, and physical capitals accounted for 81.6% of the variance in the SLI of herder households. Less physical capital was the main reason for a lower SLI. (3) Compared with high-SLI households, low-SLI families were characterized by having a higher dependency on natural resources, fewer fixed assets, weaker personal ability, and less participation in social organizations. Moreover, low-sustainability households were more vulnerable to medical expenses. Our study suggests that policymakers should pay closer attention to skills training, promote livelihood diversification, and strengthen social capital security. These actions are recommended for global poverty reduction and to promote the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

Keywords: sustainable livelihood; livelihood capital; rural development; pastoral area; northern Tibet (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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