Disparities between climate change facts and farmer’s awareness and perception in an arid region: A case study of the middle and lower reaches of the Heihe River Basin in northwest China

Arid areas are sensitive and vulnerable to climate change and may face more climate risks in the future under the background of global warming. The adaptability of society to future climate change impacts relies heavily on the awareness and perception of local populations. This study focuses on the middle and lower reaches of the Heihe River, which is the second-largest inland river in China, and examine the temperature and precipitation changes from 1981 to 2020, employing the Sen + Mann-Kendall trend analysis method. The local farmers and herdsmen were interviewed, and their variations in awareness and perception regarding climate change were assessed. The results show that local residents are highly sensitive to climate warming but not to precipitation increases, indicating that the communities faces substantial constraints imposed by limited water resources. Residents of the downstream desert area feel a wetter climate than those of the mountain and oasis areas in the middle reach, suggesting a greater water scarcity pressure in the latter. The increased allocation of ecological water to the downstream portion of the Heihe river, as implemented by the “97″ water distribution plan in 2000, may be a contributing factor to this phenomenon. The disparities in the fact and residents’ awareness and perception of climate change are different among the mountainous, oasis, and desert regions, which are influenced by regional differences in climate change, agricultural production conditions, and water policies. The government should consider these factors when formulating water policies to ensure successful and balanced development.