DOCSLIB.ORG

Modern Wildlife Conservation Initiatives and the Pastoralist/Hunter Nomads of Northwestern Tibet

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Modern Wildlife Conservation Initiatives and the Pastoralist/Hunter Nomads of Northwestern Tibet Natural Pastures and Mobile Animal Husbandry Under Pressure: The Cases of Lapland and the Tibetan Plateau, 12-14 June 2002, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland. Modern wildlife conservation initiatives and the pastoralist/hunter nomads of northwestern Tibet Joseph L. Fox1, Per M athiesen2, Drolma Yangzom 3, M arius W . Næss2 & Xu Binrong3 1 Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Tromsø, N-9037 Tromsø, Norway, (joe.fox@ ib.uit.no). 2 Department of Social Anthropology, Faculty of Social Science, University of Tromsø, N-9037 Tromsø, Norway. 3 TAR Forestry Bureau, 25 Linguo North Road, Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), China. Abstract: In 1993 the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) of China established the 300 000 km2 Chang Tang Nature Preserve on the northwestern Tibetan plateau, an action precipitated by rapidly diminishing populations of chiru (Tibetan antelope) and wild yak. Some 30 000 nomadic pastoralists use areas within this reserve for livestock grazing, with many having traditionally depended in part on hunting for supplementary subsistence and trade. Following a 1997 request from TAR leaders for international assistance in addressing the conservation issues associated with the creation of this reserve, the TAR Forestry Bureau and the Network for University Co-operation Tibet – Norway began a 3-year research collaboration program in 2000 to outline human-wildlife interactions and conservation priorities in the western part of the reserve. To date, four excursions (2-6 weeks each) have been made to the western Chang Tang region, and investigations of interactions between pastoralists and wildlife conservation objectives have been initiated in an area of about 5000 km2, including the 2300 km2 Aru basin located at 5000 m elevation at the northern edge of pastoralist inhabitation. The Aru site is unique in that nomads have only recently returned to this previously off-limits basin. But, as in surrounding areas, the people’s lives are undergoing changes recently influenced by the introduction of permanent winter houses, changing international trade in shahtoosh and cashmere wool, and a move towards stricter hunting regulations. The northwestern Chang Tang, with the Aru basin as a prime site, represents one of the last strongholds of the endangered chiru and wild yak, as well as home to Tibetan gazelle, kiang, Tibetan argali, blue sheep, wolf, snow leopard and brown bear. In autumn 2000, for example, with approximately 12 000 of the wild ungulates (mostly the migratory chiru) within the Aru basin along with some 8000 domestic livestock, issues of land use overlap and possible grazing competition are clear to both local nomads and reserve managers. W hereas livestock development actions elsewhere on the Tibetan plateau are promoting increased livestock production, they are doing so at the expense of wildlife, and such an approach will not be appropriate in areas where wildlife conservation is a major priority. Although some of the ongoing livestock development programs may be adapted to the western TAR, new approaches to pastoral development will have to be developed in the reserve. The ultimate goal of enhancing the nomads’ standard of living, while conserving this truly unique array of biodiversity, presents a daunting challenge. Key words: Chang Tang Nature Preserve, chiru, conservation and development, wild yak. Rangifer, Special Issue No. 15: 17-27 Introduction recently established the second largest protected In conjunction with a late 1997 visit to Europe by area in the world, the 300 000 km2 Chang Tang leaders of the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), Nature Preserve, and was interested in assistance in China, interest was expressed in receiving the development of suitable management initiatives. international assistance in addressing conservation In response to this request, in 1998 the two senior issues associated with the creation of a large nature authors visited Tibet to make initial contacts with reserve in nomadic pastoral areas of the appropriate authorities, and in the spring of 1999 northwestern Tibetan plateau. The TAR had both accompanied TAR Forestry Bureau and other Rangifer, Special Issue No. 15, 2004 17 government officials on a reconnaissance survey reductions in populations of chiru or Tibetan traversing over 800 km across the central portion of antelope (Pantholops hodgsoni) and wild yak (Bos the reserve. In the spring of 2000 the TAR Forestry grunniens) (Fig. 2) throughout their ranges on the Bureau (TARFB) and the University of Tromsø, plateau, reflects a growing commitment by the TAR under the auspices of the Network for University to conservation of its natural resources. The TAR’s Co-operation Tibet – Norway, signed a 3-year initial request for assistance noted that ”... wildlife research collaboration program designed to study have high economical values, in order to prohibit human-wildlife interactions and their conservation catching and killing, preserve ecological balance, it consequences in the western part of the nature is imperatively important to set up a wildlife nature reserve. Field research was initiated in summer of reserve”. At the time, chiru populations were being 2000 with a month-long excursion to the site decimated over much of the Tibetan plateau, selected for intensive study, the remote Aru basin precipitated by a spectacular jump in pelt prices to (Fig. 1), and has continued with 6-week excursions supply an increasing international market for to the area in autumn of 2000 and 2002, and early ”shahtoosh” garments woven from the chiru’s fine summer of 2001. In addition to TARFB wool (Kumar & W right, 1998; Schaller, 1998). participation, the fieldwork has been conducted in Although much of the chiru’s slaughter has been co-operation with the Tibet Academy of Social carried out by organised poachers, smaller-scale but Sciences, the Biology Department of Tibet increased hunting and trapping by nomads has University, and the Tibet Agriculture and Animal exacerbated the species’ decline. In fact, many Husbandry College. nomad families in what is now the reserve probably substantially increased their cash flows in the early 1990’s as chiru pelt prices rose (Næss et al., 2004), Chang Tang Nature Preserve and many were able to purchase trucks or other The Chang Tang Nature Preserve was established vehicles for the first time (Fig. 3). in 1993. This action, brought about by recent Fig. 1. The Chang Tang Nature Preserve, showing the location of the primary study area within the catchments of Aru and Memar lakes, the major travel routes to the basin, and the routes of our cross-reserve traverses. 18 Rangifer, Special Issue No. 15, 2004 Fig. 2. Chiru (Tibetan antelope) and wild yak in the Aru basin. Some 30 000 nomadic pastoralists depend on development advantages of some changes are rangelands within the reserve for livestock grazing, debatable (Goldstein, 1996; Miller, 1998). But and those in areas with significant wildlife density unlike the traditional pastoralism that co-existed have traditionally depended in part on hunting for with abundant populations of large wild herbivores, supplementary subsistence and trade (in part for these development actions have the potential to shahtoosh). W ith rapid changes in wildlife markets, fully utilise the productivity of the rangeland, and government subsidised modernisation of exclude wildlife. In its retention of the traditional, pastoralism, and concerns over preserving Tibet’s common ownership of pasture land, the Tibet wildlife populations, the establishment of the nature Autonomous Region (TAR) has taken a somewhat preserve has brought into sharp focus conflicting different approach to livestock development, aspects of these various factors. The TAR’s 1997 although similar investments to increase livestock request for assistance focussed on development aid productivity are also being introduced and are likely associated with the creation of the reserve; our to greatly alter the scope of pastoralism in the TAR. project aims to provide baseline information upon The Chang Tang Nature Preserve represents the which management of wildlife and livestock can be first instance of a large-scale effort to combine developed to ensure the continued presence of wildlife protection with pastoral development in threatened wildlife as well as a better standard of western China, and the application of development living for nomads in the reserve. initiatives currently promoted elsewhere on the The northwestern TAR is one of the least plateau will require objective re-evaluation in productive and poorest parts of the region. At an relation to wildlife conservation goals. average elevation of over 4500 m it is too high to In any case, the effects of development actions on support any cropping, and nomadic pastoralism the plateau should be evaluated within the context remains the primary livelihood for most residents. of this unique high elevation rangeland ecosystem. W hereas other parts of the Tibetan plateau in the One of the most dramatic aspects of traditional TAR and Qinghai Province have seen significant pastoralism on the Tibetan plateau is the potentially livestock and community development activity, the devastating effect of snowstorms on the survival of northwest has yet to see much, and officials are livestock. Large-scale losses are rare, but they do admittedly looking to financial advantages happen, for example during the winter of 1997- associated with nature preserve designation as one 1998 over 3 million head of livestock
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Birding in Ladakh
    Birding in Ladakh lthough it is true that the real Ladakh starts where the road ends, we have come to find some very easily accessible areas to help you map your journey to the natural wonders of Athis wilderness in the quickest way, making sure you miss nothing! So bring your binoculars along on your personal search of the wild with our camp naturalist. Ladakh falls between the trans-Himalaya and the southern Tibetan plateau. It’s not misleading when we say you’re at the “Roof of the World” here. In fact, this remote district nestled in the dizzying heights of the Himalaya makes it protected and nearly cut off from even its immediate neighbors- a phenomenon of natural history that creates a sub world of its own.Everything that survives here has undergone millenniums of specialized adaptation and evolution. In the battle for survival, only the hardiest have remained. There is a large group of the Avian world which long dared to cross these mighty heights to visit their spring and autumn migration grounds, adding a mesmerizing diversity to the mix of some resident species which are altitudinal migrants, breeding at high altitudes and descending in winter. This presents a unique opportunity to watch a staggering 310 species of birds in Ladakh. Key stop over sites : Thiksey and Shey Marshes: The area is a must for any bird watcher as it houses a mélange of agricultural fields, marshes and a labyrinth of irrigation channels to reach the river. Explore these wetlands and riverbank along the Indus, which serve as prime habitat.
    [Show full text]
  • Tibet Under Chinese Communist Rule
    TIBET UNDER CHINESE COMMUNIST RULE A COMPILATION OF REFUGEE STATEMENTS 1958-1975 A SERIES OF “EXPERT ON TIBET” PROGRAMS ON RADIO FREE ASIA TIBETAN SERVICE BY WARREN W. SMITH 1 TIBET UNDER CHINESE COMMUNIST RULE A Compilation of Refugee Statements 1958-1975 Tibet Under Chinese Communist Rule is a collection of twenty-seven Tibetan refugee statements published by the Information and Publicity Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in 1976. At that time Tibet was closed to the outside world and Chinese propaganda was mostly unchallenged in portraying Tibet as having abolished the former system of feudal serfdom and having achieved democratic reforms and socialist transformation as well as self-rule within the Tibet Autonomous Region. Tibetans were portrayed as happy with the results of their liberation by the Chinese Communist Party and satisfied with their lives under Chinese rule. The contrary accounts of the few Tibetan refugees who managed to escape at that time were generally dismissed as most likely exaggerated due to an assumed bias and their extreme contrast with the version of reality presented by the Chinese and their Tibetan spokespersons. The publication of these very credible Tibetan refugee statements challenged the Chinese version of reality within Tibet and began the shift in international opinion away from the claims of Chinese propaganda and toward the facts as revealed by Tibetan eyewitnesses. As such, the publication of this collection of refugee accounts was an important event in the history of Tibetan exile politics and the international perception of the Tibet issue. The following is a short synopsis of the accounts.
    [Show full text]
  • Inheritance of Down Hair and Live Weight Traits for Inner Mongolia Cashmere Goats in China
    7th World Congress on Genetics Applied to Livestock Production, August 19-23, 2002, Montpellier, France INHERITANCE OF DOWN HAIR AND LIVE WEIGHT TRAITS FOR INNER MONGOLIA CASHMERE GOATS IN CHINA H. Zhou1 and D. Allain2 1 The College of Biotechnology, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, China 2 INRA, Station d’Amélioration Génétique des Animaux, Castanet Tolosan 31326, France INTRODUCTION China is the largest producer and exporter of cashmere in the world. And Inner Mongolia cashmere goats, a large population of 13 million individuals, are the country’s most important contributors to the cashmere production, and economic earners, which provides approximately 30% of the world’s cashmere. The further enhancement of the fibre quality is necessary for the competition in the world market. Therefore, better control of the quality is of importance for cashmere production to satisfy the consumer’s requirements for a consistently desirable product. Knowledge of the extent of genetic variability is a prerequisite for the genetic improvement of the primary traits. Some genetic parameters and genetic correlation or phenotypic correlation amongst particular traits in some breeds of cashmere goat have been estimated (Patties et al., 1989 ; Baker et al., 1991 ; Rose et al., 1992 ; Bigham et al., 1993 ; Ning et al., 1995). However, there is little scientific literature available on the genetic background of main production traits in Inner Mongolia cashmere goat, which requires an analysis on variance component estimates and accurate genetic parameter evaluation under animal models in characteristics for the seed-stock selection and progress of genetic improvement in Inner Mongolia cashmere goats. MATERIALS AND METHODS Data and animals.
    [Show full text]
  • Download Download
    OPEN ACCESS The Journal of Threatened Taxa fs dedfcated to bufldfng evfdence for conservafon globally by publfshfng peer-revfewed arfcles onlfne every month at a reasonably rapfd rate at www.threatenedtaxa.org . All arfcles publfshed fn JoTT are regfstered under Creafve Commons Atrfbufon 4.0 Internafonal Lfcense unless otherwfse menfoned. JoTT allows unrestrfcted use of arfcles fn any medfum, reproducfon, and dfstrfbufon by provfdfng adequate credft to the authors and the source of publfcafon. Journal of Threatened Taxa Bufldfng evfdence for conservafon globally www.threatenedtaxa.org ISSN 0974-7907 (Onlfne) | ISSN 0974-7893 (Prfnt) Revfew Nepal’s Natfonal Red Lfst of Bfrds Carol Inskfpp, Hem Sagar Baral, Tfm Inskfpp, Ambfka Prasad Khafwada, Monsoon Pokharel Khafwada, Laxman Prasad Poudyal & Rajan Amfn 26 January 2017 | Vol. 9| No. 1 | Pp. 9700–9722 10.11609/jot. 2855 .9.1. 9700-9722 For Focus, Scope, Afms, Polfcfes and Gufdelfnes vfsft htp://threatenedtaxa.org/About_JoTT.asp For Arfcle Submfssfon Gufdelfnes vfsft htp://threatenedtaxa.org/Submfssfon_Gufdelfnes.asp For Polfcfes agafnst Scfenffc Mfsconduct vfsft htp://threatenedtaxa.org/JoTT_Polfcy_agafnst_Scfenffc_Mfsconduct.asp For reprfnts contact <[email protected]> Publfsher/Host Partner Threatened Taxa Journal of Threatened Taxa | www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26 January 2017 | 9(1): 9700–9722 Revfew Nepal’s Natfonal Red Lfst of Bfrds Carol Inskfpp 1 , Hem Sagar Baral 2 , Tfm Inskfpp 3 , Ambfka Prasad Khafwada 4 , 5 6 7 ISSN 0974-7907 (Onlfne) Monsoon Pokharel Khafwada , Laxman Prasad
    [Show full text]
  • Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism, Revised Edition
    REVISED EDITION John Powers ITTB_Interior 9/20/07 2:23 PM Page 1 Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism ITTB_Interior 9/20/07 2:23 PM Page 2 ITTB_Interior 9/20/07 2:23 PM Page 3 Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism revised edition by John Powers Snow Lion Publications ithaca, new york • boulder, colorado ITTB_Interior 9/20/07 2:23 PM Page 4 Snow Lion Publications P.O. Box 6483 • Ithaca, NY 14851 USA (607) 273-8519 • www.snowlionpub.com © 1995, 2007 by John Powers All rights reserved. First edition 1995 Second edition 2007 No portion of this book may be reproduced by any means without prior written permission from the publisher. Printed in Canada on acid-free recycled paper. Designed and typeset by Gopa & Ted2, Inc. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Powers, John, 1957- Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism / by John Powers. — Rev. ed. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and indexes. ISBN-13: 978-1-55939-282-2 (alk. paper) ISBN-10: 1-55939-282-7 (alk. paper) 1. Buddhism—China—Tibet. 2. Tibet (China)—Religion. I. Title. BQ7604.P69 2007 294.3’923—dc22 2007019309 ITTB_Interior 9/20/07 2:23 PM Page 5 Table of Contents Preface 11 Technical Note 17 Introduction 21 Part One: The Indian Background 1. Buddhism in India 31 The Buddha 31 The Buddha’s Life and Lives 34 Epilogue 56 2. Some Important Buddhist Doctrines 63 Cyclic Existence 63 Appearance and Reality 71 3. Meditation 81 The Role of Meditation in Indian and Tibetan Buddhism 81 Stabilizing and Analytical Meditation 85 The Five Buddhist Paths 91 4.
    [Show full text]
  • RAPD Variation and Genetic Distances Among Tibetan, Inner Mongolia and Liaoning Cashmere Goats
    1520 RAPD Variation and Genetic Distances among Tibetan, Inner Mongolia and Liaoning Cashmere Goats Shilin Chen1* , Menghua Li, Yongjun Li허, Shuhong Zhao*, Chuanzhou Yu, Mei Yu, Bin Fan and Kui Li Laboratory of Molecular Biology & Animal Breeding, School of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, P. R. China ABSTRACT : Relationship among Tibetan cashmere goats, Inner Mongolia cashmere goats and Liaoning cashmere goats was studied using the technique of random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD). One primer and four primer combinations were screened. With the five primers and primer combinations, DNA fragments were amplified from the three breeds. Each breed has 28 samples. According to their RAPD fingerprint maps, the Nei's (1972) standard genetic distance was: 0.0876 between Tibetan cashmere goats and Inner Mongolia cashmere goats, 0.1601 between Tibetan cashmere goats and Liaoning cashmere goats, 0.0803 between the Inner Mongolia cashmere goats and Liaoning cashmere goats. It coincides with their geographic location. The genetic heterogeneity of Tibetan cashmere goats, Inner Mongolia cashmere goats and Liaoning cashmere goats is 0.3266, 0.2622 and 0.2475 respectively. It is also consistent with their development history. (Asian-Aust, J. Anint Sei. 2001, Vol 14, No. 11:1520-1522) Key Words : Tibetan Cashmere Goats, Inner Mongolia Cashmere Goats, Liaoning Cashmere Goats, RAPD, Genetic Heterogeneity, Genetic Distance INTRODUCTION The Tibetan were from the Baitu county cashmere goats keeping farm in Ali territory, Tibetan; The Inner Mongolia Cashmere goats originate from Tibet, Middle Asia and were from the Inner Mongolia cashmere goats keeping other inner Asian areas (Seng, 1997; Jia et al., 1997).
    [Show full text]
  • Herever Possible
    Published by Department of Information and International Relations (DIIR) Central Tibetan Administration Dharamshala-176215 H.P. India Email: [email protected] www.tibet.net Copyright © DIIR 2018 First edition: October 2018 1000 copies ISBN-978-93-82205-12-8 Design & Layout: Kunga Phuntsok / DIIR Printed at New Delhi: Norbu Graphics CONTENTS Foreword------------------------------------------------------------------1 Chapter One: Burning Tibet: Self-immolation Protests in Tibet---------------------5 Chapter Two: The Historical Status of Tibet-------------------------------------------37 Chapter Three: Human Rights Situation in Tibet--------------------------------------69 Chapter Four: Cultural Genocide in Tibet--------------------------------------------107 Chapter Five: The Tibetan Plateau and its Deteriorating Environment---------135 Chapter Six: The True Nature of Economic Development in Tibet-------------159 Chapter Seven: China’s Urbanization in Tibet-----------------------------------------183 Chapter Eight: China’s Master Plan for Tibet: Rule by Reincarnation-------------197 Chapter Nine: Middle Way Approach: The Way Forward--------------------------225 FOREWORD For Tibetans, information is a precious commodity. Severe restric- tions on expression accompanied by a relentless disinformation campaign engenders facts, knowledge and truth to become priceless. This has long been the case with Tibet. At the time of the publication of this report, Tibet has been fully oc- cupied by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) for just five months shy of sixty years. As China has sought to develop Tibet in certain ways, largely economically and in Chinese regions, its obsessive re- strictions on the flow of information have only grown more intense. Meanwhile, the PRC has ready answers to fill the gaps created by its information constraints, whether on medieval history or current growth trends. These government versions of the facts are backed ever more fiercely as the nation’s economic and military power grows.
    [Show full text]
  • High Peaks, Pure Earth
    BOOK REVIEW HIGH PEAKS, PURE EARTH COLLECTED WRITINGS ON TIBETAN HISTORY AND CULTURE BY HUGH RICHARDSON A COMPILATION OF A SERIES OF PROGRAMS ON RADIO FREE ASIA TIBETAN SERVICE BY WARREN W. SMITH 1 HIGH PEAKS, PURE EARTH High Peaks, Pure Earth is the title of the collected works on Tibetan history and culture by Hugh Richardson, a British diplomat who became a historian of Tibet. He was British representative in Lhasa from 1936 to 1940 and again from 1946 to 1950, during which time he did many studies on ancient and modern Tibetan history. He wrote numerous articles on Tibetan history and culture, all of which have been published in this book of his collected writings. Hugh Richardson was born in Scotland, a part of Great Britain that bears some similarities to Tibet, both in its environment and in its politics. Scotland has long had a contentious relationship with England and was incorporated only by force into Great Britain. Richardson became a member of the British administration of India in 1932. He was a member of a 1936 British mission to Tibet. Richardson remained in Lhasa to become the first officer in charge of the British Mission in Lhasa. He was in Lhasa from 1936 to 1940, when the Second World War began. After the war he again represented the British Government in Lhasa from 1946 to 1947, when India became independent, after which he was the representative of the Government of India. He left Tibet only in September 1950, shortly before the Chinese invasion. Richardson lived in Tibet for a total of eight years.
    [Show full text]
  • Biodiversity Profile of Afghanistan
    NEPA Biodiversity Profile of Afghanistan An Output of the National Capacity Needs Self-Assessment for Global Environment Management (NCSA) for Afghanistan June 2008 United Nations Environment Programme Post-Conflict and Disaster Management Branch First published in Kabul in 2008 by the United Nations Environment Programme. Copyright © 2008, United Nations Environment Programme. This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part and in any form for educational or non-profit purposes without special permission from the copyright holder, provided acknowledgement of the source is made. UNEP would appreciate receiving a copy of any publication that uses this publication as a source. No use of this publication may be made for resale or for any other commercial purpose whatsoever without prior permission in writing from the United Nations Environment Programme. United Nations Environment Programme Darulaman Kabul, Afghanistan Tel: +93 (0)799 382 571 E-mail: [email protected] Web: http://www.unep.org DISCLAIMER The contents of this volume do not necessarily reflect the views of UNEP, or contributory organizations. The designations employed and the presentations do not imply the expressions of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNEP or contributory organizations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or its authority, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. Unless otherwise credited, all the photos in this publication have been taken by the UNEP staff. Design and Layout: Rachel Dolores
    [Show full text]
  • Everest North Face Base Camp & Holy
    EVEREST NORTH FACE BASE CAMP & HOLY NAMTSO LAKE Tashi delek! Tibetan Guide Travel Tours is a small travel agency based in Lhasa. We always work hard and take responsible for our clients by using local services as much as possible. Of course we use Tibetan drivers and tour guides. Who are experienced, have rich knowledge about Tibetan culture and also excellent attitude. We are confident that you would not be disappointed if you choose our services letting us show you our mother land. Proposed itinerary Day 1: Lhasa arrival [3650m] Upon arrival in Lhasa you will be welcomed by your English-speaking Tibetan Guide and Tibetan Driver who will bring you to your hotel. Acclimatization to high altitude: please, drink lots of water and take plenty of rest in order to minimize altitude sickness. Overnight at Shang Bala Hotel 4*, which is located in Lhasa city center and few walking steps to Barkhor Square and Jokhang Temple. Day 2: Lhasa sightseeing We begin visiting Ramoche Temple, built in honor of the image of Jowo Rinpoche that Chinese princess Wencheng brought by marrying Songtsen Gampo, the first king of Buddhist doctrine and who unified the Tibetan empire in the 7th century. Thereafter, we continue with Jokhang Temple, the most sacred monastery in Tibet. It was also founded in the 7th century by Songtsen Gampo. Later you can explore the surrounding Barkhor old quarter and spend time walking around Jokhang Temple following pilgrims from all over the Tibetan plateau. In the afternoon we go to Sera Monastery, one of three great universities of Gelugpa Sect.
    [Show full text]
  • Rangeland Use Rights Privatisation Based on the Tragedy of the Commons: a Case Study from Tibet
    [Downloaded free from http://www.conservationandsociety.org on Tuesday, February 27, 2018, IP: 138.246.2.57] Conservation and Society 15(3): 270-279, 2017 Article Rangeland Use Rights Privatisation Based on the Tragedy of the Commons: A Case Study from Tibet Yonten Nyima Yundannima Institute of Social Development and Western China Development Studies, Sichuan University, Sichuan, China E-mail: [email protected] Abstract Rangeland use rights privatisation based on a tragedy of the commons assumption has been the backbone of state policy on rangeland management and pastoralism in China. Through an empirical case study from Pelgon county, Tibet Autonomous Region in China, this paper provides an empirical analysis of rangeland use rights privatisation. It shows that the tragedy of the commons is not the correct model to apply to Tibetan pastoralism because pasture use in Tibet has never been an open-access institution. Thus, when the tragedy of the commons model is applied as a rationale for rangeland use rights privatisation, the result is not what is intended by the policy, but rather a misfit to features of pastoralism and thus disruption of the essence of pastoralism, i.e. mobility and flexibility. The paper further shows that a hybrid institution combining household rangeland tenure with community-based use with user fees is a restoration of the pastoralist institution. This demonstrates the capacity of pastoralists to create adaptive new institutions congruent with the interdependent and integrated nature of pastoralism consisting of three components: pastoralists, livestock, and rangeland. Keywords: Rangeland use rights, tragedy of the commons, Tibet, Pelgon county, pastoralism, China INTRODUCTION without any regulation and that they are in fact practiced worldwide without resource degradation (Buck 1985; Feeny Biologist Garrett Hardin (1968, 1991) asserted that under et al.
    [Show full text]
  • Tibetan Nuns Debate for Dalai Lama
    PO Box 6483, Ithaca, NY 14851 607-273-8519 WINTER 1996 Newsletter and Catalog Supplement Tibetan Nuns Debate for Dalai Lama NAMGYAL INSTITUTE by Thubten Chodron I began hearing rumors the At 4PM nuns, monks, and Enters New Phase morning of Sunday, October 8th laypeople gathered in the court- that nuns were going to debate in yard. The nuns were already debat- the courtyard in front of the main ing on one side, and their voices of Development temple in Dharamsala and that His and clapping hands, a mark of de- Holiness the Dalai Lama was to be bate as done in Tibetan Buddhism, Spring 1996 will mark the end Lama. The monks have received a • Obtain health insurance for the there to observe. There were many filled the place. Suddenly there was of the fourth full year of operation wide and popular reception Namgyal monks, none of whom nuns in McLeod Gam' at the time; a hush and the nuns who had been and the beginning of a new phase throughout the U.S. and Canada, currently have health insurance. the major nunneries in India and debating went onto the stage in the of development for the Institute of and there is an ever-growing circle • Fund a full-time paid adminis- Nepal were having their first ever "pavilion" where His Holiness' seat Buddhist Studies established by of students at the Institute in trator. Our two administrators inter-nunnery debate. The fact that was. His Holiness soon came out, Namgyal Monastery in North Ithaca, confirming the validity of have each put in forty hours per the best nun debaters had^athered the nuns prostrated and were America.
    [Show full text]