IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/nathaz/v92y2018i1d10.1007_s11069-017-3128-4.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Herders and hazards: covariate dzud risk and the cost of risk management strategies in a Mongolian subdistrict

Author

Listed:
  • Ariell Ahearn

    (Oxford University)

Abstract

Studies of mobile pastoralist livelihoods have shown that a variety of socio-technical practices have been developed to achieve reliable outputs from livestock in variable arid and semi-arid environments. This paper builds upon the concept of pastoralists as high-reliability seekers rather than risk-averse and makes a case for understanding Mongolian herders as well adapted to livestock production in highly variable climatic conditions within a certain threshold of risk and uncertainty. This system fails, however, during instances of high uncertainty and covariate risk such as in cases of the natural hazard dzud, which requires individual households to make significant cash investments in risk management. It forwards the idea that investing in local government—soum and bag level—administrative capacity and infrastructure is needed to build system resilience to covariate risk. Based on ethnographic research in rural Bayankhongor, this paper interrogates how dzud interfaces with socio-economic factors amongst pastoralists in central west Mongolia.

Suggested Citation

  • Ariell Ahearn, 2018. "Herders and hazards: covariate dzud risk and the cost of risk management strategies in a Mongolian subdistrict," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 92(1), pages 165-181, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:nathaz:v:92:y:2018:i:1:d:10.1007_s11069-017-3128-4
    DOI: 10.1007/s11069-017-3128-4
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11069-017-3128-4
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11069-017-3128-4?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Charlotte Benson, 2011. "Dzud Disaster Financing and Response in Mongolia," World Bank Publications - Reports 13065, The World Bank Group.
    2. Nixson, Frederick & Walters, Bernard, 2006. "Privatization, Income Distribution, and Poverty: The Mongolian Experience," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 34(9), pages 1557-1579, September.
    3. Fernández-Giménez, María E. & Batkhishig, Baival & Batbuyan, Batjav & Ulambayar, Tungalag, 2015. "Lessons from the Dzud: Community-Based Rangeland Management Increases the Adaptive Capacity of Mongolian Herders to Winter Disasters," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 48-65.
    4. David Sneath, 2003. "Land use, the environment and development in post-socialist Mongolia," Oxford Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 31(4), pages 441-459.
    5. Saverio Kr&aauml;tli & Nikolaus Schareika, 2010. "Living Off Uncertainty: The Intelligent Animal Production of Dryland Pastoralists," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 22(5), pages 605-622, December.
    6. Mahul, Olivier & Skees, Jerry, 2007. "Managing agricultural risk at the country level : the case of index-based livestock insurance in Mongolia," Policy Research Working Paper Series 4325, The World Bank.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Guoqing Qian & Chuansong Duanmu & Nisar Ali & Adnan Khan & Sumeet Malik & Yong Yang & Muhammad Bilal, 2022. "Hazardous wastes, adverse impacts, and management strategies: a way forward to environmental sustainability," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 24(8), pages 9731-9756, August.
    2. Andrew R. Tilman & Elisabeth H. Krueger & Lisa C. McManus & James R. Watson, 2023. "Maintaining human wellbeing as socio-environmental systems undergo regime shifts," Papers 2309.04578, arXiv.org.
    3. Roeckert, Julian & Krähnert, Kati & Hoffmann, Roman, 2024. "Extreme weather events and violence against children," Ruhr Economic Papers 1094, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
    4. Troy Sternberg & Jerome R. Mayaud & Ariell Ahearn, 2022. "Herd It in the Gobi: Deserting Pastoralism?," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(6), pages 1-23, May.
    5. Crook, David R. & Robinson, Brian E. & Li, Ping, 2020. "The Impact of Snowstorms, Droughts and Locust Outbreaks on Livestock Production in Inner Mongolia: Anticipation and Adaptation to Environmental Shocks," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 177(C).
    6. Tilman, Andrew R. & Krueger, Elisabeth H. & McManus, Lisa C. & Watson, James R., 2024. "Maintaining human wellbeing as socio-environmental systems undergo regime shifts," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 221(C).
    7. Narmandakh, Davaatseren & Sakurai, Takeshi, 2022. "Impact of Rangeland Degradation on Farm Performance and Household Welfare in the Case of Mongolia," Japanese Journal of Agricultural Economics (formerly Japanese Journal of Rural Economics), Agricultural Economics Society of Japan (AESJ), vol. 24.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Ulambayar, Tungalag & Fernández-Giménez, María E., 2019. "How Community-Based Rangeland Management Achieves Positive Social Outcomes In Mongolia: A Moderated Mediation Analysis," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 93-104.
    2. Katharina Lehmann-Uschner & Kati Krähnert, 2018. "When Shocks Become Persistent: Household-Level Asset Growth in the Aftermath of an Extreme Weather Event," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 1759, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    3. Andrew R. Tilman & Elisabeth H. Krueger & Lisa C. McManus & James R. Watson, 2023. "Maintaining human wellbeing as socio-environmental systems undergo regime shifts," Papers 2309.04578, arXiv.org.
    4. Chifumi Ono & Mamoru Ishikawa, 2020. "Pastoralists’ Herding Strategies and Camp Selection in the Local Commons—A Case Study of Pastoral Societies in Mongolia," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(12), pages 1-19, December.
    5. Allington, Ginger R.H. & Fernández-Giménez, María E. & Reid, Robin & Ulambayar, Tungalag & Angerer, Jay & Jamsranjav, Chantsallkham & Baival, Batkhishig & Batjav, Batbuyan, 2024. "Context matters: Rethinking resource governance theories for Mongolian pastoral systems," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 142(C).
    6. Veronika Bertram-Huemmer & Kati Kraehnert, 2018. "Does Index Insurance Help Households Recover from Disaster? Evidence from IBLI Mongolia," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 100(1), pages 145-171.
    7. Fernández-Giménez, María E. & Batkhishig, Baival & Batbuyan, Batjav & Ulambayar, Tungalag, 2015. "Lessons from the Dzud: Community-Based Rangeland Management Increases the Adaptive Capacity of Mongolian Herders to Winter Disasters," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 48-65.
    8. Visser Oane & Schoenmaker Lotte, 2011. "Institutional Transformation in the Agricultural Sector of the former Soviet Bloc," Eastern European Countryside, Sciendo, vol. 17(2011), pages 21-53, January.
    9. Undargaa, Sandagsuren & McCarthy, John F., 2016. "Beyond Property: Co-Management and Pastoral Resource Access in Mongolia," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 367-379.
    10. Tilman, Andrew R. & Krueger, Elisabeth H. & McManus, Lisa C. & Watson, James R., 2024. "Maintaining human wellbeing as socio-environmental systems undergo regime shifts," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 221(C).
    11. Fluhrer, Svenja & Kraehnert, Kati, 2022. "Sitting in the same boat: Subjective well-being and social comparison after an extreme weather event," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 195(C).
    12. Nick Middleton, 2018. "Rangeland management and climate hazards in drylands: dust storms, desertification and the overgrazing debate," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 92(1), pages 57-70, November.
    13. Neef, Andreas & Benge, Lucy & Boruff, Bryan & Pauli, Natasha & Weber, Eberhard & Varea, Renata, 2018. "Climate adaptation strategies in Fiji: The role of social norms and cultural values," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 107(C), pages 125-137.
    14. Xu, Yecheng & Zhang, Yaoqi & Chen, Jiquan & John, Ranjeet, 2019. "Livestock dynamics under changing economy and climate in Mongolia," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    15. Amartuvshin, Amarjargal & Chen, Jiquan & John, Ranjeet & Zhang, Yaoqi & Lkhagvaa, Dansranbavuu, 2021. "How does mining policy affect rural migration of Mongolia?," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 107(C).
    16. Engler, John-Oliver & Wesche, Karsten & Kaczensky, Petra & Dhakal, Prabesh & Chuluunkhuyag, Oyundari & von Wehrden, Henrik, 2021. "Biophysical variability and politico-economic singularity: Responses of livestock numbers in South Mongolian nomadic pastoralism," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 187(C).
    17. Hans P. Binswanger-Mkhize, 2012. "Is There Too Much Hype about Index-based Agricultural Insurance?," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 48(2), pages 187-200, February.
    18. Changqing Sun & Yulong Bao & Battsengel Vandansambuu & Yuhai Bao, 2022. "Simulation and Prediction of Land Use/Cover Changes Based on CLUE-S and CA-Markov Models: A Case Study of a Typical Pastoral Area in Mongolia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-21, November.
    19. DeMartino, George & Grabel, Ilene & Scoones, Ian, 2024. "Economics for an uncertain world," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
    20. Antoine Leblois & Philippe Quirion, 2013. "Agricultural insurances based on meteorological indices: realizations, methods and research challenges," Post-Print hal-00656778, HAL.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:nathaz:v:92:y:2018:i:1:d:10.1007_s11069-017-3128-4. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.