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THE CHANGING FACE OF PASTORALISM IN BAYANGOL


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Authors

Bulag, Uradyn E. 
Fuerwa, Dorjraa 

Abstract

In recent years, climate change, particularly five years of constant drought, has induced significant pastoral transformation. Herders in Bayanbulag have had to move to agricultural regions to rent land for grazing their livestock during the winter months to ensure their survival. In this video, Chimiddorj explains in detail his experiences with farmland. Over the past several years, Chimiddorj has transported his livestock by large trucks from the Bayanbulag grassland to the outskirts of Hejing County, Korla City, and even as far as to Kuche County in 2022, 500km distance. Chimiddorj rented farmland in Kuche exclusively for the winter and plans to return to Bayanbulag grassland at the end of April before the farming season starts. The winter pasture in Khöh Us, where at least thirteen households and their livestock (10,400) used to live, now has only four families remaining, with around 1,600 sheep in total. The rest of the herders are scattered across the farmlands of Hejing, Korla, and Kuche. The average cost of transporting 400 sheep from Bayanbulag to Kuche is ¥20,000, and it doubles with lambs, in addition to the rent fee of 3000mu lands for ¥80,000. The rising cost of grazing, combined with falling meat prices, has exacerbated existing difficulties, making pastoralism more vulnerable and unsustainable.

Description

Keywords

Climate Change, Drought, Pastoral Transformation, Herders, Agricultural Land Tenancy

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Publisher

Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Documentation Project, University of Cambridge

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Sponsorship
Sponsored by Arcadia Fund, a charitable fund of Lisbet Rausing and Peter Baldwin.