The impact of cross-scale variables on livelihood vulnerability under climate change is mostly qualitative study,and empirical studies are rarely conducted.Therefore,the peper used empirical analysis to explore the role of cross-scale variables in the impact of drought on livelihood vulnerability.Based on the survey data of 218 households in the Loess Plateau,the mediating and moderating effects of cross-scale variables in the impact of drought on livelihood vulnerability were investigated by the linear regression and hierarchical regression analysis.The results showed that drought had a significant impact on the livelihood vulnerability of rural households.In the process of drought impacting on livelihood vulnerability,the " age of household head,perceived maximum temperature,rainfall changes,drought degree changes,and post-disaster information channels" at the scale of persons and the " wholesale markets' distance and village fairs' distance" at the scale of households played a moderating role;the " three generations of immediate family members' number of households and production machinery index" at the scale of the households played a mediating role;and the " engineering measures" had neither played a moderating role nor a mediating role at the scale of village.This paper used mediating and moderating effects to reflect the interaction of cross-scale variables,provided scientific methods in the empirical research of cross-scale effects,and made up for the gaps in existing research.This provides a scientific and effective basis for formulating policies to reduce the livelihood vulnerability of rural households.