Abstract
Transhumant pastoralism, with its cultural, ecological, and socioeconomic significance, is an important livelihood strategy for mountain communities. Despite its importance, transhumant pastoralism is declining in the Hindu Kush Himalayan region. This study examines the drivers of change experienced by transhumant herders in Bajhang, western Nepal, in order to understand future implications for transhumant pastoralism in the region. Here, animals are raised to transport goods to remote villages and to earn supplemental income through the sale of milk, meat, and livestock. The study found that herders are experiencing multiple drivers of changes—including socioeconomic, political, institutional, ecological, and climatic—which have both positive and negative implications for their livelihoods. Herders have responded to these changes by altering their transhumance routes and by reducing the variety and numbers of animals raised. The increasing market demand for meat from freely grazed animals and limited road access are current factors contributing to the perpetuation of transhumant herding in Bajhang. Meanwhile, the institutional mechanisms provisioned in the National Rangeland Policy are neither functional in the study area nor able to resolve issues of the herders. The study recommends developing an incentive-based mechanism involving herders and other stakeholders to address the challenges faced by herders.
Highlights
About 25 to 30 million people in the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region derive their livelihoods from livestock production for nutrition, fiber, soil fertility, draft power, transportation, trade, and social and religious rituals (Yi and Sharma 2009; Verma and Khadka 2016)
The cyclical movement of transhumant herders with their animals is a strategy to cope with low temperatures, the shortage of forage, and seasonal availability of grazing resources at different altitudinal ranges (Bhasin 2011)
Transhumant herders support livelihoods of communities living along their route through barter trade (Jasra et al 2016)
Summary
About 25 to 30 million people in the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region derive their livelihoods from livestock production for nutrition, fiber, soil fertility, draft power, transportation, trade, and social and religious rituals (Yi and Sharma 2009; Verma and Khadka 2016). They have adapted to low agricultural productivity, a harsh climate, fragile ecosystems, and remoteness (Jodha 1992; Nangju 2003). Transhumant herders support livelihoods of communities living along their route through barter trade (Jasra et al 2016)
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