Green Governmentality and Pastoralism in Western China: 'Converting Pastures to Grasslands'

Abstract

One of China's newest large-scale 'ecological construction' projects, 'converting pastures to grasslands' (tuimu huancao), calls for the creation of three new types of zones on existing pastures: zones in which grazing is to be permanently banned, zones in which grazing is to cease for a period of several years, and zones in which pasture is to be seasonally closed. This project is likely to significantly alter the livelihoods of tens of thousands of pastoralists living in Western China. The paper discusses the policy context in which tuimu huancao emerged, analyzing both continuities with and disjunctures from previous ecological restoration and rangeland management policies, including 'Open up the West,' the Sloping Land Conversion Project, and the 'four that form a complete set' (si peitao). Differences suggest that tuimu huancao constitutes a deepening of state control over territory, and can be understood as an emergent form of green governmentality in China. The paper then discusses tuimu huancao implementation on the Tibetan plateau, specifically in Qinghai and Sichuan provinces. Finally, directions for future research are outlined.

The pika and the watershed: The impact of small mammal poisoning on the ecohydrology of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

“…Tukey-Kramer comparisons between sites: Poisoned Site versus On Burrow = P \ 0.001; Poisoned Site versus On Colony = P \ 0.004; On Colony versus On Burrow = P \ 0.001 moisture data) and the extremely complex geology of the QTP, the additive impacts of an increased infiltration rate across the range of the plateau pika (nearly the entire QTP; Smith et al 1990;Smith and Xie 2008) on both groundwater retention and runoff control could be large and should be taken into consideration by policy-makers. Many contemporary factors enter into the hydrological profile on the QTP, including changes in grazing intensity, fencing, ''ecological migration,'' and climate change (Bauer 2005;Yan et al 2005;Yeh 2005;Foggin 2008;Xu et al 2009;Immerzeel et al 2010;Liang et al 2013;Yang et al 2014). The difference in runoff potential between poisoned and un-poisoned areas should be considered contributory to these factors.…”

Field <sup>13</sup>CO<sub>2</sub> pulse labeling reveals differential partitioning patterns of photoassimilated carbon in response to livestock exclosure in a <i>Kobresia</i> meadow

“…However, conflicting findings suggest that grazing decreases the productivity of the grassland, especially overgrazing associated with privatization and sedentarization, which leads to land degradation (Zhao and Zhou, 1999;Miller, 1999). Livestock exclosures were widely used as an approach to restore the degraded grasslands on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (Yeh, 2005). However, the policy of completely eliminating domestic grazing from grasslands may not be suitable for the grasslands with different vegetation types, degrees of degradation and evolutionary histories.…”

Wissenschaftliche Expertise und die (Re)Produktion gesellschaftlicher Verhältnisse – Eine argumentationstheoretische Analyse von Diskursen der Ökologie- und Umweltforschung im westlichen China

“…Ursachen von Umweltkatastrophen im Osten Chinas, wie beispielsweise die große Flut des Yangtse Flusses im Jahre 1998, dem Management der Landnutzung in den westlichen Regionen Chinas zugeschrieben (Yeh, 2005). Die Forschungsarbeiten zu Mensch-Umwelt-Beziehungen drehen sich im Südwesten, den Hochgebirgsregionen der Provinz Yunnan und der Autonomen Region Tibet, dabei um Themen wie Hangerosion und Weidewirtschaft oder die Nutzung von Ökosystemdienstleistungen.…”

“…Vielfach wurde gezeigt, dass Umweltforschung und Umweltwissen nicht unbeeindruckt von ihrem gesellschaftlichen Kontext geblieben sind, sondern im Gegenteil eine aktive, gouvernmentale Rolle einnehmen können (Blaikie und Muldavin, 2004;Forsyth, 2003;Yeh, 2005). Forsyth und Walker (2008:229, eigene Übersetzung) konstatieren in ihrer Analyse von umweltbezogenen Narrativen in Thailand, "Umweltwissen existiert nicht in politisch neutraler und universell anwendbarer Form, sondern reflektiert verschiedene soziale und politische Einflüsse und Werte".…”