Assessment Of Livelihood Vulnerability Of Farmers In Shiyang River Basin

Assessment of livelihood vulnerability is contribute to get rid of poverty for farmers residing in the ecological fragile areas and realize the regional sustainable development and provide a scientific basis for the policy makers. Due to the fragile ecological environ-met in continental river basin in China, in which farmers’ livelihood are suffering from it, so it is necessary to assess the livelihood vulnerability of farmers, understand the distribution of vulnerable population, the vulnerable performances and reasons for providing suggestions for reducing the livelihood vulnerability of farmers. Based on the framework of risk- adaptation- sensitivity, We build a indicators system by using the questionnaire data of household level, the synthetically index method and the entropy evaluation method for assessing the livelihood vulnerability of farmers in Shiyang river basin. And we analysis the influence factors and identify the determinants of livelihood vulnerability of farmers by using the least square method. Results indicate that:(1) The farmers of midstream faced the most serious risk, the value-at-risk is0.809, followed by the downstream(its value-at-risk is 0.796), the upstream has a minimum value-at-risk(0.674).And lack of water resources is the most serious risk they common faced, secondly is the desertification extension. The farmers of upstream have a higher proportion in low risk degrees, the farmers of midstream have a higher proportion in high risk degrees and the farmers of downstream have a higher proportion in middle degrees. Moreover, with the per-capital income decreasing, the natural risk of farmers faced is decreasing and the market risk is increasing. Choosing the coping risk strategies of “reduce consumption” and “go out work” have the highest percentage for farmers in shiyang river basin.(2) The farmers of upstream have a best adaptive capacity, its value is 0.426,followed by the midstream farmers(0.412) and the farmers of downstream have a minimum value(0.401).And The farmers of upstream have a higher proportion in middle adaptive capacity degrees, the farmers of midstream have a higher proportion in low adaptive capacity degrees and the farmers of downstream have a higher proportion in high adaptive capacity degrees. Furthermore, with the per-capital income decreasing,the farmers’ adaptive capacity has a downtrend.(3) The farmers of upstream have a highest sensitivity level,its sensitive value is0.649,the farmers of downstream is in the next place(0.567) and the farmers ofmidstream have a lowest sensitivity level(0.550).And the farmers of upstream have a higher proportion in high sensitivity level, the farmers of midstream have a higher proportion in middle sensitivity level and the farmers of downstream have a higher proportion in middle sensitivity level. In addition,the high-income farmers have a highest sensitivity level, the next is low income farmers and the middle income farmers is the last.(4) The farmers of downstream have a highest livelihood vulnerability, its value is 0.225,the next is the farmers of midstream(0.223) and the farmers of upstream is the last(0.180).(5) If a householder has a older age and a higher education level, and his/her family has a larger size and a higher annual income and more credit opportunity and more labor ability and a higher education level of adults labor and a larger number of natural capital and social capital,its family would have a high ability to resist risk what they faced and have a lower livelihood vulnerability. we also find that a lower proportion of young and old people in a family will be helpful to reduce the livelihood vulnerability of the family; Moreover, ecological degradation is the significant factor that affect livelihood vulnerability of farmers, the higher degree of desertification and water shortage, the higher level of livelihood vulnerability of farmers in Shiyang River Basin.