Herders as agents of change

Abstract

[Extract] In both Inner Mongolia and Mongolia, the decisions and behaviours that a herder household makes drive grassland and livelihood change. Thus herders are significant agents of socio-ecological change on the steppe. A variety of interacting social, economic and environmental pressures at a number of different levels and scales influence the decisions and behaviours of individual herders. For example, decisions and behaviours are influenced by mental models affected by factors such as social norms, perceived behavioural constraints and attitudes. In turn structural factors such as institutions and financial capital affect perceived behavioural constraints. Herders navigate these complex and sometimes conflicting influences in pursuit of a meaningful livelihood which can vary through time, space and between individuals. Understanding these influences allows policy makers to better incentivise or influence herders as agents of change.