The Next Steppe? Herder Perceptions of Environmental Change in Mongolia

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2017
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Swarthmore College. Dept. of Sociology & Anthropology
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Thesis (B.A.)
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en
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Full copyright to this work is retained by the student author. It may only be used for non-commercial, research, and educational purposes. All other uses are restricted.
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Livestock herders in Mongolia are adapting to a new era of change due to climatic, political, and economic shifts. I conducted case study research in three regions of Mongolia. I listen closely to these herder responses in my analysis and also draw from theory around knowledge production and commons management to illustrate the underlying discourses on the steppe. I disentangle outside “expert” messaging about Mongolian rangeland with what local herders are actually experiencing. We need interdisciplinary scholarship to understand the interacting facets affecting the socio- ecological system. I argue that pastoralism remains the most sustainable and equitable use of the rangeland in Mongolia if attention is paid to power dynamics at play, local knowledge is included in pasture use monitoring and governance, and if herder autonomy is maintained over international actors and market forces. My synthesis offers a new perspective of possibilities for the Mongolian steppe in the 21st century.
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