Farmers’ landslide risk perceptions and willingness for restoration and conservation of world heritage site of Honghe Hani Rice Terraces, China

The Honghe Hani Rice Terraces (China) is an ancient world heritage agricultural landscape that has been evolved in centuries as a result of farmers’ indigenous practices and knowledge. The area, however, is prone to landslides that can burden the conservation of these landscapes including their social, cultural, economic and aesthetic value. In June 2018, a landslide threatened the villages of Duosha and Mengpin affecting 138 inhabitants and the terraces structure. This event marked the need to understand how farmers coexist with these natural hazards and which are the behaviours people adopt to conserve their environment and safeguard their livelihood. Results from 125 in-person interviews showed that farmers feel threaten by landslide events derived by their personal experience, but their poor perceived preparedness and the inefficient disaster information make them more vulnerable to those events. Nevertheless, they demonstrated a desire to increase their knowledge on terraces restoration and conservation practices. This is an important signal for public authorities and practitioners that need to underpin training activities and create momentum for discussion. The demonstrated high trust in authorities’ decisions is a crucial element to pursue the objective and sustain the conservation of the terraces and the tourism economy.