Changing inland waterbody livelihoods in Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyzstan

Abstract

This paper examines livelihood transition along inland waterbodies, drawing on secondary literature and interviews to examine a case study of Issyk-Kul, a large Lake in Kyrgyzstan. Livelihood activities along Issyk-Kul are diverse and seasonal, and include fruit, vegetable and cereal farming, livestock management and pastoralism, tourism, remittances and fisheries and aquaculture. We focus in depth on tourism and fishing. While both activities have fluctuated in significance over many decades; overall, we show how tourism is increasing while fisheries have drastically reduced. We argue that livelihood activities in Issyk-Kul are characterised by the increasing importance of both discursive and material connections beyond the Lake itself, and identify areas for future research on livelihoods along inland waterbodies.