Based on ethnographic research that combines ethnology with ecological anthropology, and informed by theories of cultural change and adaptation in relation to environmental change, this paper examines the environmental changes of Lake Erhai, in Dali, Yunnan over the past thirty years and how fishing families in a Bai nationality village have adapted their livelihoods in response to these changes. Using both a diachronic method based on historical narrative and a synchronic method of comparative analysis, the paper describes the interrelationship between environmental change and livelihood choices of fishing families at different historical moments. The paper reveals the deep social-cultural factors involved in environmental protection and argues that creating sustainable livelihoods must be considered equally to protecting the environment. ? 2013 International Information Institute.
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