Nomad’s land, no man’s land?

Abstract

This chapter examines the concrete modalities of Mongolian and Buryat herders’ seasonal mobility patterns – how do pastoralists and their animals nomadize? – as well as highlighting the structural differences and similarities that characterize nomadization practices on both sides of the Mongolia-Russia border, determined by political, economic, social and environmental factors. On a more local scale, systematic GPS recordings show global trends as well as individual variations. Using a short-term diachronic approach, this chapter sheds light on the occasional changes in nomadization practices, the abiding adaptation strategies that herders are implementing due to increasing climatic variations and land privatization projects or implementations. This chapter postulates that the common use of land is a necessary condition for the maintenance of nomadic pastoralism.