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Climate Change Adaptation Among Tibetan Pastoralists: Challenges in Enhancing Local Adaptation Through Policy Support
Author
Yao Fu, R. Edward Grumbine, Andreas Wilkes, Yun Wang, Xu Jianchu and Yongping Yang
Year
2012
Journal Title
Environmental Management
Institution
Springer Science+Business Media B.V
Call Number
JA0465-12
Keywords
Tibetan Plateau, Pastoral community, Local ecological knowledge, Climate, Change adaptation
Abstract:
While researchers are aware that a mix of Local
Ecological Knowledge (LEK), community-based resource
management institutions, and higher-level institutions and
policies can facilitate pastoralists’ adaptation to climate
change, policy makers have been slow to understand these
linkages. Two critical issues are to what extent these factors play a role, and how to enhance local adaptation
through government support. We investigated these issues
through a case study of two pastoral communities on the
Tibetan Plateau in China employing an analytical framework to understand local climate adaptation processes. We
concluded that LEK and community-based institutions
improve adaptation outcomes for Tibetan pastoralists
through shaping and mobilizing resource availability to
reduce risks. Higher-level institutions and policies contribute by providing resources from outside communities.
There are dynamic interrelationships among these factors
that can lead to support, con?ict, and fragmentation.
Government policy could enhance local adaptation through
improvement of supportive relationships among these
factors. While central government policies allow only
limited room for overt integration of local knowledge/
institutions, local governments often have some ?exibility
to buffer con?icts. In addition, government policies to
support market-based economic development have greatly
bene?ted adaptation outcomes for pastoralists. Overall, in
China, there are still questions over how to create innovative institutions that blend LEK and community-based
institutions with government policy making.
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