Production strategies pursued by households and individuals in a peasant community of the Bolivian Altiplano are shaped by access to resources, social networks and institutions, wealth, and the ability to develop urban rural linkages. In times of climatic stress such as the low rainfall of 1995, the household economic portfolio shifts to activities less vulnerable to climate. The ability to shift is conditioned by access to resources, social capital, stage in the life cycle and wealth. A typology developed to understand how strategies take shape during a drought is used to evaluate access to information during el Ni?o (1997-8) and impacts on potato production in 1998-99. The relationship between diversification and use of climate forecasts (local and modern) is evaluated. The study proposes that diversification and use of forecasts may go hand in hand, and should be considered in the profile of potential users.

玻利维亚高原上一个农民社区的家庭和个人所追求的生产战略是由获得资源、社会网络和机构、财富和发展城乡联系的能力所决定的。在诸如1995年降雨量少等气候紧张时期，家庭经济组合转向不太容易受气候影响的活动。转变的能力取决于能否获得资源、社会资本、生命周期的阶段和财富。为了解干旱时期战略的形成而制定的一种类型被用于评估厄尔尼诺(1997-8年)期间的信息获取情况以及1998-99年对马铃薯生产的影响。评估了多样化和气候预报(地方和现代)的使用之间的关系。该研究建议多样化和预测的使用可以同时进行，并应在潜在用户的概况中加以考虑。