Retreat or resist: Navigating uncertainties in pastoral Amdo Tibet, China

Abstract

In the contemporary era marked by heightened uncertainties, particularly attributable to climate change, insufficient attention has been directed towards rural pastoral China. Paradoxically, it is within these rural settings, notably those reliant on natural resources, that the palpable repercussion of extreme climate variations unfold. Pastoralists in Saga, Amdo Tibet, acting as authorized stewards of the rangeland, find themselves grappling with formidable challenges emanating from escalating land values spurred by tourism, infrastructure investments, conservational initiatives, and the consequential impacts of climate change-induced land loss. This study underscores the pivotal role of the local-state relations in navigating the mounting uncertainties and complexities arising from external interventions. Specifically, this paper examines how pastoralists engage in negotiating the norms, roles and relationships governing their integration or securing favourable terms within evolving land issues. Drawing on empirical cases and with the notion of assemblage, it is evident that pastoralists adeptly leverage established roles and relationships, notably through the utilization of retired village cadres, using their seasoned understanding of bureaucratic intricacies, forms a critical network instrumental in preserving pastoralists’ access to essential rangeland resources on the ground.