Improving Farmer Livelihood Resilience to Climate Change in Rural Areas of Inner Mongolia, China

Abstract

This study evaluates how resilient farmers’ livelihoods are to climate change and what factors influence this resilience. To measure resilience, we constructed an indicator system based on the livelihood resilience analysis framework. We surveyed 42 experts and 630 farmers after a climate change disturbance in Aohan Banner, Inner Mongolia, from August to October 2021, and analyzed these data using the comprehensive index method. Meanwhile, we used a multiple linear regression model to analyze the key factors affecting farmer livelihood resilience across different livelihood types and towns. We found that farmers who primarily worked in agriculture had the highest resilience scores and that livelihood resilience differed by geographical location; specifically, livelihood resilience gradually declines from southern to northern areas and from forest and forest-grassland to grassland locations. The results also show that education level, agricultural technology training, transportation infrastructure, accessibility of information, awareness of climate change, climate change perception, change in livelihood strategies, family size, and the holding size of the arable area are positively associated with farmer livelihood resilience, while household head age is negatively associated with resilience. We therefore advise that policymakers should diversify agricultural livelihoods, afforest surrounding arable areas, improve transportation infrastructure, increase learning activities and skill training for farmers, and publicize climate change knowledge.