2007 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
Natural Resource Management and Poverty Alleviation in Inner Mongolia: Sustainable Livelihoods Approach
| Project/Area Number |
18530211
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
Economic policy
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| Research Institution | University of Hyogo |
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Principal Investigator |
MATSUYO Makino University of Hyogo, School of Economics, Professor (80269977)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2006 – 2007
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| Keywords | Sustainable Livelihoods / Inner Mongolia / Natural Resource Management / Poverty Alleviation / grazing / Social Capital |
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| Research Abstract |
This study examined the relationship between environment and poverty taking the cases of rural, pastoral villages in Inner Mongolia, where desertification and other ecological degradation have been serious. It employed Sustainable Livelihoods Approach as analytical framework, which has been increasingly popular among researchers in poverty and environment.
We visited in total of nine pastoral villages in four Banners in 2006 and 2007 and conducted questionnaire surveys and interviews to the village leaders. We used both quantitative and qualitative methods to conduct a preliminary analysis of the pastoral community's responses to the current crises, and draw a sketch of "how the past livelihood system in typical pastoral villages became vulnerable", "what people are trying to get out of the situation utilizing the portfolio of their community resources", "what options and strategies are available to move out of the situation", "what are the roles of the government and other actors", and "what institutions are influential in shaping their strategies".
Given the continuing degradation of grasslands and the government's policy of compulsory partial withdrawal from grazing, current livelihoods strategies of pastoralists are either to move to urban area to find employment or get self-employed as milk cow breeders, or keep on grazing in a more efficient and thereby more land-intensive manner. Neither of them appears sustainable. Our study suggests two alternative livelihood strategies complementary to each other. The first is "community grazing" with concentration of grasslands to capable pastoralists and voluntary retirement of other members from grazing. The other is community development of higher value-added and resource-saving secondary and tertiary economic activities that utilize renewable energy resources.
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