Perceptions of climate change, the impacts of and responses to climatic variability and extreme weather are explored in three communities in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, in relation to livelihood resilience. These communities provide examples of the most common livelihood strategies across the region: small-scale fisheries (San Felipe) and semi-subsistence small-holder farming (Tzucacab and Calakmul). Although the perception that annual rainfall is reducing is not supported by instrumental records, changes in the timing of vital summer rainfall and an intensification of the mid-summer drought (canicula) are confirmed. The impact of both droughts and hurricanes on livelihoods and crop yields was reported across all communities, although the severity varied. Changes in traditional milpa cultivation were seen to be driven by less reliable rainfall but also by changes in Mexico’s agricultural and wider economic policies. Diversification was a common adaptation response across all communities and respondents, resulting in profound changes in livelihood strategies. Government attempts to reduce vulnerability were found to lack continuity, be hard to access and too orientated toward commercial scale producers. Population growth, higher temperatures and reduced summer rainfall will increase the pressures on communities reliant on small-scale farming and fishing, and a more nuanced understanding of both impacts and adaptations is required for improved livelihood resilience. Greater recognition of such local-scale adaptation strategies should underpin the developing Mexican National Adaptation Policy and provide a template for approaches internationally as adaptation becomes an increasingly important part of the global strategy to cope with climate change.

中文翻译：

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墨西哥尤卡坦半岛社区对极端天气的感知，适应和抵御能力

在墨西哥尤卡坦半岛的三个社区中，探索了关于气候变化的看法，气候变化和极端天气的影响以及对气候变化的影响和应对方法，这些方法与生计弹性相关。这些社区提供了该地区最常见的生计策略的示例：小型渔业（圣费利佩）和半自给自足的小农养殖（Tzucacab和Calakmul）。尽管仪器记录不支持认为年降雨量正在减少的看法，但仍确认了夏季重要降雨时间的变化和仲夏干旱（canicula）的加剧。尽管严重程度各异，但据报道干旱和飓风对所有社区的生计和农作物产量都有影响。传统milpa的变化人们认为，降雨的可靠性较低，但墨西哥的农业政策和更广泛的经济政策也有所变化。多样化是所有社区和受访者共同的适应应对措施，导致生计策略发生深刻变化。人们发现政府减少脆弱性的努力缺乏连续性，难以获得，而且过于面向商业规模的生产者。人口增长，气温升高和夏季降雨减少，将增加依赖小规模农业和渔业的社区的压力，并且需要对影响和适应进行更细微的了解，以改善生计适应力。