Pastoralists’ Herding Strategies and Camp Selection in the Local Commons—A Case Study of Pastoral Societies in Mongolia | Land Portal

Resource information

Date of publication: 
December 2020
Resource Language: 
ISBN / Resource ID: 
10.3390/land9120496
License of the resource: 
Copyright details: 
© 2020 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article.

Local commons are underutilized in resource management models, thus limiting the effectiveness of the commons concept. This study examined the actual situation of the local commons in Altanbulag soum, a suburb of Ulaanbaatar City, Mongolia, where land degradation is a concern, using the case study method. Interviews using semi-structured questionnaires were conducted with pastoralists. It investigated land use and pastoralists’ relationships to open-access summer pastures, summer camp selection, grazing practice, and acceptance of migrants. The study concludes that herders in Altanbulag select their summer camp locations considering four elements: attachment to the place, territorial bonding, convenient environment, and winter camp safety. We also defined four types of herding strategies that identify the positive and negative aspects of local commons. The study suggests a potential gap between the community-based resource management promoted by international donors and the actual practices around local commons. It also highlights the need for further research into assessing local commons.

Authors and Publishers

Author(s), editor(s), contributor(s): 

Ono, Chifumi
Ishikawa, Mamoru

Publisher(s): 

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