Climate change adaptation strategies adopted by pastoralists in rangelands in Golestan province, Iran 

AbstractClimate change is a serious challenge to pastoralism in rangelands. Adaptation strategies adopted by pastoralists can reduce their livelihood vulnerability to cope with adverse effects of climate change. This study was done to investigate the adaptation strategies of pastoralists in the north of Golestan province, Iran. Data were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire. The statistical population consisted of 200 pastoralists from 3 pastoral units, of which 127 individuals were sampled using stratified random method. The results showed that 33.1% of the pastoralists had moderate adaptability to climate change. They had more adaptive capacity in cost saving and improving savings, health and veterinary services, and use of technology. The pastoralists’ adaptability to climate change was enhanced with increasing age. Large and less-educated pastoralists had more adaptability compared to small and well-educated ones. Pastoralists who had jobs other than animal-husbandry and who participated in educational and extension courses on climate change had more adaptability to climate change. Pastoralists owning agricultural lands and local knowledge in dealing with climate change were also more adaptable to climate change. The results of the study can be used to strengthen pastoralists’ adaptability to climate change to reduce their livelihood vulnerability.
IntroductionClimate change is one of the most important environmental threats worldwide1,2, having significant consequences on various sectors such as animal-husbandry3. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has defined climate change as any change in the climate features or their variability over a long period of time4, which can include major changes in temperature, precipitation or wind patterns1,5. The changes and variability of temperature and rainfall and the occurrence of extreme weather events are the most common signs of climate change6, which may have both natural and anthropogenic causes7.The current accelerating climate change has had a significant impact on the vulnerability of rural households and pastoralists who are heavily interconnected with nature4,8,9,10, as rangeland forage and livestock production are the main source of their income and livelihood11,12. The impacts of climate change on grazing systems depend not only on the extent of climate change, but also on the climate features, existing production systems, and adaptive capacity of pastoralists13. Climate change has a negative impact on the pastoralism in rangelands through reducing forage production, limiting water resources, outbreaks of livestock diseases, and disruption of production systems5. In other words, lack of forage, the sharp decrease in forage quality, decrease in water resources, increase in severe heat fluctuations are the direct consequences of climate change on livestock production, which ultimately lead to a decrease in livestock weight, dai