Sedentarisation of Tibetan nomads in China: Implementation of the Nomadic settlement project in the Tibetan Amdo area; Qinghai and Sichuan Provinces

Jarmila Ptackova

doi:10.1186/2041-7136-1-4

Abstract

Sedentarisation efforts have been part of the Chinese policy on the Tibetan grassland since the 1960s. These efforts increased significantly after the introduction of the Opening of the west (Chin: 西部大开发 xibu da kaifa) development strategy. The aim of the sedentarisation programs is mainly to improve the grassland ecosystem and also the socio-economic situation of nomadic households. Nevertheless the program aims do not concentrate primarily on the nomads and how they cope with the situation and new lifestyle in the urban settlements. Are the settlement measures going to solve the situation on the grassland in the west of China, or is the hasty implementation going to bring further social problems for Tibetan nomads, that the Central Government will have to solve? This article will not be able to answer all these important questions as the resettlement process has not been completely accomplished yet. The article focuses on recently implemented projects in the sequence of sedentarisation programs, the so-called Nomadic settlement (Chin: 游牧民定居 you mumin dingju) and describes the main elements of this project according to governmental documents, interviews with responsible persons and its implementation in areas of Maqin and Zeku Counties in Qinghai Province and Hongyuan County in Sichuan Province. The article provides information on the outcome of the project, the recent situation and offers a basis for further research.

Highlights

The article focuses on recently implemented projects in the sequence of sedentarisation programs, the so-called Nomadic settlement (Chin: 游牧民定居 you mumin dingju) and describes the main elements of this project according to governmental documents, interviews with responsible persons and its implementation in areas of Maqin and Zeku Counties in Qinghai Province and Hongyuan County in Sichuan Province
Since 2009 the sedentarisation efforts of the Chinese government have become highly visible on the grassland area of Amdo, a Tibetan region in western China
The regulations of these projects were similar to the recent Nomadic settlement project and already included governmental support to erect fences, plant grass, and construct permanent houses and animal sheds at the winter pasture of each household (ADGM III 2003)

Summary

Introduction

Since 2009 the sedentarisation efforts of the Chinese government have become highly visible on the grassland area of Amdo, a Tibetan region in western China. With defined winter grassland property it was easier for the nomads to raise permanent houses This was strongly supported by the government through the Project to increase living comfort (Chin: 温饱工程 wenbao gongcheng) introduced in 1978 and the Four completions project (Chin: 四配套 sipeitao) of the 1990s (ADGM II 1994). The regulations of these projects were similar to the recent Nomadic settlement project and already included governmental support to erect fences, plant grass, and construct permanent houses and animal sheds at the winter pasture of each household (ADGM III 2003)

Methods

Findings

Conclusion