Abstract: [Objective] The study on herdsmen’s perception and adaptability to extreme weather events is of great significance for improving herdsmen’s disaster resistance. [Methods] Based on the data of 194 herdsmen in central and western Inner Mongolia, the binary Probit model was used to empirically investigate the factors influencing herdsmen’s perceptions of extreme weather events and adaptive behavior. [Results] ①The factors significantly affecting herdsmen’s perception of extreme weather events included herdsmen’s education level, household labor force size, average annual family income, the number of channels for obtaining information, and the timeliness of obtaining meteorological information. The impact of whether to borrow or not was not significant. ②Household labor force size, average annual income of the family, and timeliness of meteorological information were significant factors affecting herdsmen’s adaptive behaviors to extreme weather events, whether to borrow or not and the number of channels for obtaining information also positively impacted on herdsmen’s adoption of adaptive behaviors. [Conclusion] Herders′ perception and response behaviors to extreme weather events are comprehensively influenced by multi-dimensional factors such as economic foundation, information conditions, family structure, and personal characteristics. Moreover, the impacts of different factors vary in the links of perception and response. This provides a direction for formulating targeted policies to guide herders in coping with extreme climates.

Key words: extreme weather events, herdsmen, perception, adaptive behaviors, central and western grassland areas in Inner Mongolia