In Situ Adaption and Migration: Enablers and Constraints Among Rural Households of the Mountainous Region of Southern Ningxia, Northwest China

Sustainable livelihoods (SL) provide an appropriate approach to conceptualising the relationship between climate (environmental) change and human adaptation strategies. In China, however, there is little research into the relationship between livelihood assets and adaptation behaviour in response to climate change from a micro (household) perspective. This study develops a two-stage conceptual framework based on an SL approach. The study examines how, and to what extent, the livelihood assets of rural households influence four major agro-ecological domains (agricultural production, land area, water supply, and soil fertility) of livelihoods, and subsequently influence their decisions on adaptation strategies to climate change. A two-stage regression procedure is used to analyse primary data collected from 304 households in Xiji county. Results show that responses to climate change at the household level are significantly influenced by five dimensions of livelihood assets – natural, financial, physical, human and social capital. Both in-situ adaptation and migration policies that aim to address poverty and environmental stresses in the area need to focus on diverse income resources, accessibility of agricultural techniques and facilities, education, ethnic equity and social networks of the households affected by climate change.