To address the gap in evaluating herders' livelihood resilience with a comprehensive methodology, this research harnessed survey data from 758 pastoralists within the Three River Headwater Region (TRHR) on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP). Augmented by focus group discussions and transect walks, we pioneered a livelihood resilience evaluation index that integrates key dimensions of buffer capacity, self-organization, and learning capacity, offering a holistic view of resilience factors. At the heart of our analytical approach is the entropy-TOPSIS method, utilized to dissect the livelihood resilience and sustainability of local herders, revealing intricate spatial resilience patterns through spatial autocorrelation analysis. This nuanced application allows for a detailed mapping of resilience across the TRHR, highlighting variances and spatial trends. Our findings illustrate a spectrum of resilience levels, with the Yellow River headwater area displaying a relative resilience zenith, indicated by a score of 0.931 in Zeku County, and a contrasting low in Yushu County with a resilience score of 0.532. This delineates a clear “high in the east and low in the west” resilience gradient across the counties, underpinned by significant differences in self-organization, buffer, and learning capacities among the pastoral communities. Employing a methodological framework that blends empirical data with advanced analytical tools like entropy-TOPSIS and spatial autocorrelation, this study not only unveils the layered resilience landscape within the TRHR but also contributes a methodological blueprint for future resilience assessments in similar pastoral ecosystems.