关键词: 干旱半干旱区, 气候变化, 牧民, 感知, 应对行为

Abstract: Through case study with participant observation, semi-structured interview, questionnaire survey and multi-stakeholder interview, pastoralists’ perception and adaptive actions to climate change were described and recorded in the steppe region of Hexigten Banner, Inner Mongolia. Pastoralists’ perception was compared with meteorological data and the disasters’ record. The factors impacting their adaptive capacity were analyzed. The main change of climate according to pastoralists’ perception was aggravated drought since year 2000, which was described as higher temperature, less precipitation, and the change of wind, cloud and fog. About the temperature, precipitation and the meteorological disaster, pastoralists’ perception was coincident with meteorological data and the disasters’ record. However, since the impacts to eco-systems and livestock husbandry of climate change were more concerned, besides the amount of precipitation, pastoralists stated detailed changes: the frequency, spatial and temporal heterogeneity, fluctuations and cumulative effect of rainfall, and the aggregate effect of precipitation and temperature. Drought has decreased forage production and surface water, under these pressures pastoralists’ adaptive actions were to increase livestock mobility, clarify resources users and purchase forage and grain. The pastoralists were able to cope with climate change, common property rights arrangement; nested management of monitoring and sanction; external support such as projects from the government, market and credit played the key role.

Key words: arid and semi-arid area, climate change, local pastoralist, perception, adaptive actions