Sustainable livelihoods following an extreme event: Post‐earthquake practices of the Tibetan community in Jiuzhaigou World Heritage site, China

Abstract

Under the guidance of a sustainable livelihoods framework and using qualitative research methods, members of Tibetan communities in Jiuzhaigou World Heritage site were interviewed following an earthquake. Based on grounded theory and methods, the core elements, connotation and impact relationships concerning the sustainable livelihoods of Tibetan residents after an extreme event were extracted. A framework comprised of livelihood capital, livelihood vulnerability, institutions and systems, livelihood intentions, livelihood strategies, and livelihood outcomes, was developed to examine the effects of an earthquake on livelihoods at a World Heritage site in western China. The elements of this framework better reflect China's conditions and regional characteristics, which leads to different meanings and logical relationships in the composition of sustainable livelihood elements. It was found that the institutions and organizational systems of the heritage site and the livelihood intentions of the community members shaped the use of livelihood capital, thereby influencing livelihood strategies and livelihood outcomes. Cultural capital is important in the reconstruction of livelihoods and for the diversification of tourism.