The Plight of Indigenous Pastoralists: Indigenous Peoples in the Far East, Europe and Russia Discussed at the United Nation Permanent Forum for Indigenous Issues

The challenges that are presented to indigenous pastoralists have been highlighted in presentations made in the on-going Eleventh Session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. These were detailed in discussions during the morning of May 11, 2012, according to a Press Release from the United Nations. The situation of indigenous groups in Central and Eastern Europe, the Russian Federation, Central Asia and Transcaucasia highlights the diversity of indigenous peoples across the globe, as well as the common issues that they face in continued access to traditional lands and pressures faced from development. Over and over comments were addressed to the circumstances of indigenous pastoralists and the challenges that they face in continued access to traditional routes and lands.

The UN Special Rapporteur had made a visit to Nordic countries and a blog post about his visit and report can be found at this link.

The Press Release comments on on-going projects addressing the concerns faced by reindeer herders :
“...a representative of the World Reindeer Herders said that reindeer herding communities continued to struggle in the face of land use change, climate change and development. For example, intensive industrial development and expansion in Scandinavia had seriously reduced the land area of reindeer pastures there.”
Another speaker provided information on a project called “Nomadic Herders”:
“...the project kicked off in Mongolia in late 2010 with a request from that country’s Ministry of Nature, Environment and Tourism to engage further with local reindeer herders...Subsequently, in June 2011, UNEP and the Reindeer Herders Association had facilitated a community based workshop and field visits...to meet Dukha herders and to discuss with them ways to jointly address their concerns”


A previous blog post written by Fiona Batt discusses reindeer herders in Mongolia and more of the reindeer herder’s initiative.


The on-going project about reindeer herding and the efforts of the reindeer herders speak to the importance of recognising the challenges faced by those still trying to pursue pastoralist lifestyles and livelihoods. Such a way of living might seem very alien to much of the twenty-first century world, but that in no way should diminish the rights of those people engaged in pastoralist activities nor the importance of understanding the obstacles they confront and the need to find a satisfactory solution.

Changing Taiga: Challenges for Mongolia’s Reindeer herders

The Dukrh are Pastoralist Nomads and are an ancient people of Turk descent. Their homeland is in the northern part of Mongolia, the ‘Taiga’. The Dukrh peoples follow a seasonal migratory pattern and are essentially self-sufficient. They are dependent both on reindeer and the forests where they hunt and in which their ancestors live. The families rely on the animals for their livelihood and also use them for transportation.

The Taiga is rich in biodiversity and natural resources and has been highlighted as an area which could negatively suffer from climate change. The wealth of biodiversity in the environment is a consequence of the unique relationship the Dukrh have had with the land. However this relationship and sustainable lifestyle is threatened. A recent United Nations Environmental Programme Report (UNEP) raises a number of concerns and recommendations. The Report (here) is part of the nomadic herders’ initiative.

Some concerns:

• Introduction of 8 million livestock onto traditional Dukrh grazing since 1990
• The unregulated mining of gold, white and green jade which in turn pollutes water sources
• Unregulated logging
• National parks which have curtailed the traditional grazing areas of the Dukrh.
• Hunting laws which prevent the Dukrh carrying out their traditional sustainable way of life and impact on their food security
• Erratic weather patterns which have caused many livestock deaths and impact on biodiversity

Main recommendations include:

• Recording reindeer herder’s traditional knowledge of land use and natural resources, as well as traditional food and culture, to promote the conservation of biodiversity in the region
• Closer monitoring of reindeer numbers, changes in migration routes, land use changes, industrial development, local climate variability and variables affecting the reindeer herding community and Taiga ecosystem
• Formation of community partnerships to support biodiversity and traditional livelihoods of the Dukha reindeer herders
• Evaluate current hunting regulations to identify how the laws affect reindeer herders’ access to food and income
• Establish a programme to increase herd size and prevent and treat reindeer diseases, using both Western science and traditional knowledge
• Provide assistance to develop local herders’ institutions, such as the reindeer herders’ information and knowledge centre in Tsagaannuur
• Organise community round table discussions and field visits to promote mutual understanding and dialogue between herders, tourism operators, local government, and other stake holders on land and resources in reindeer herding areas.
• Conduct an impact assessment of climate, environmental, and social and economic changes in the region, including tourism.

The Dukrh story is not atypical and there is evidence to suggest that particularly nomadic pastoralists are increasingly becoming marginalised. However pastoralists are a resource and pastoralsism produces meat and milk sustainably. One element in their survival is to disseminate information and an understanding of their valuable way of life and the above report seeks to do this.

Written by Fiona Batt.