Deqin County, Yunnan Province, The Tibetan Traditional Knowledge And Research Of Climate Change

The recent10years have seen a rise in the study on the relationship between climate change and traditional knowledge. It is one of the most prospective research frontiers in which various theories, explanations and focal points are forming. In the west, ethno-ecologists, eco-anthropologists, as well as applied anthropologists have started studies in this direction, and contribute much to coping with the impact of climate change. With more frequent extreme weather conditions and severe disasters brought about, accompanied by the impacts on ecosystem and society in ethnic areas, China’s natural and social science fieldsespecially ethno-ecology and eco-anthropology---have attached great importance to the relationship between climate change and TK. It is an important task to research into climate change and TK with cross-disciplinary methods for ethno-ecology and eco-anthropology.Based on a case study on Tibetans in Deqin County, northwest Yunnan, from an ethno-ecological perspective, this paper adopts a cross-disciplinary method not limited to natural science, studies the impacts on TK associated with biodiversity conservation and sustainable use, establishes theories on climate change and TK research, and explores quantitative analysis method and research model for TK, as well as practice for adapting local climate change and relevant disasters using TK.This paper includes3parts as follows:Firstly, study on TK associated with climate and climate change. Although climate models could produce a macro vista of climate change, and estimate future trends and consequences of human development, they prove to be little effective in predicting the accurate local climate change. Recently, a growing number of people recognize TK that depend on biodiversity and environment, which is more complicated than appliances, is a precious source of local climate change information. Tibetans in Deqin County have diversified TK, which could be useful in understanding climate change.Secondly, study on the impact of climate change on TK associated with bio-resources conservation and sustainable use. Apart from having effect on TK about observing and predicting weather, the impact of climate change on TK associated with bio-resources conservation and sustainable use is the most important one worth attention. This paper focuses on this kind of impact, and discusses the direct and indirect influences of climate change and extreme weather conditions on TK of Tibetans in Deqin County, according to the classification system of TK proposed by Professor Xue Dayuan, i.e. the knowledge for traditional use of agricultural bio-species and genetic resources; the knowledge for traditional use of medicinal bio-species; traditional technical innovations for bio-resource use and traditional practices for farming and living styles; traditional cultures such as customary laws and community protocols that are related to conservation and sustainable use of bio-resources; and traditional geographically biological indicators.Thirdly, study on TK and the adaptation to climate change. TK associated with bio-resources conservation and sustainable use plays a significant role in mitigating and adapting to current and future climate change. The other focal point of this paper lies in the adaptation strategy based on TK and its practice, and the way mitigating the adverse impacts by climate change via the cooperation between TK and national policies. This paper discusses the climate change adaptation strategy based on TK, and its practice in Tibetan communities in Yunling, Deqin County.This paper is not limited to studies in pure natural science field, but combining it with social science, analyses the impact of climate change and extreme weather conditions, and establishes theories for climate change and TK according to the classification system of TK. The establishment of theories and frameworks provides a reference for relevant future studies, laying foundations and pointing out directions.As TK is primarily based on relative and local experiences, lacking scientific criteria and measure scale, it has always been a problem to do quantitative analysis, and thus arouses doubt on the credibility of study results. This paper gives indicators and data on TK, establishes a framework for TK quantitative analysis and research, and thus is an innovation for its quantitative analysis, strengthening the credibility and value of TK, and providing a model of TK studies.This paper gives a definition for TK related with climate change---the direct and indirect observation of local climate and natural phenomena by local people, one generation after another, and the knowledge predicting and coping with climate change, as well as extreme weather conditions---and can be classified as climate and natural phenomena.This paper constructs research theories and methods of climate change and TK, aiming to attract more ethno-ecologists and eco-anthropologists focus on the issue, launch comprehensive cross-disciplinary studies to promote further development of this field.