Livestock diversification works as a helpful livelihood strategy for herders on the Tibetan Plateau: Implications for climate change adaptation
On the Tibetan Plateau, livestock husbandry that has been restricted by grassland degradation and human activities is extremely vulnerable to climate change. Due to the unique conditions on the Tibetan Plateau, many adaptation strategies that have worked elsewhere are unsuitable here. Diversificatio...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2025-12-01
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| Series: | Sustainable Futures |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S266618882500680X |
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| Summary: | On the Tibetan Plateau, livestock husbandry that has been restricted by grassland degradation and human activities is extremely vulnerable to climate change. Due to the unique conditions on the Tibetan Plateau, many adaptation strategies that have worked elsewhere are unsuitable here. Diversification, as a key livelihood strategy based on resilience theory, has been extensively studied in crop research. However, the application and livelihood effects of diversification within livestock husbandry especially in alpine pastoral systems remain underexplored. Using household level data from 682 herders in the Pumqu River Basin (PRB) of the Tibetan Plateau, this paper analyzes the drivers of herders’ livestock diversification strategy through the lens of a pull-push theory. Moreover, the effects of such diversification strategy on herders’ livelihoods are explored. It is found that livestock diversification, including both large animals and small ruminants, has been widely adopted by local herders. Household assets such as the availability of labor, warm sheds, livestock barns and agricultural equipment, as well as the support from government programs are shown to be strong pull factors for herders to diversify their livestock. While natural environmental factors, and specifically climatic factors, act as potential push factors. Our study shows that livestock diversification in the PRB can be characterized as an opportunity-led livelihood strategy, where pull factors typically outweigh push factors as underlying drivers of this strategy. Furthermore, this opportunity-led livestock diversification is found to enhance livestock numbers herded. As a result, livestock diversification can lead to livelihood improvements for local herders under climate change which is likely to form a virtuous cycle. Our study shows how asset-based support and an enabling institutional environment facilitate livestock diversification as well as its positive livelihood outcomes. These findings offer actionable insights for climate change adaptation and rural development in pastoral regions globally. |
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| ISSN: | 2666-1888 |