Safeguarding Pastoralism in Mountain Regions

Abstract/Description

In Karnataka, India, pastoralism is integral to the livelihoods of many rural communities, particularly in the northern and central dry zones. Despite its economic and cultural significance, pastoralism in Karnataka faces numerous challenges, including environmental, social, and economic ones. Shepherds maintain robust social structures with effective resource-sharing mechanisms, while their livestock provides crucial liquidity. However, environmental changes, driven by both natural and human activities, pose significant challenges, such as the degradation of pastures and the depletion of resources along migratory routes, further marginalizing shepherd communities like pastoral nomads, who rely on traditional livelihoods, inhabit remote areas, and face limited access to healthcare (IPCC, 2014). From a social and economic perspective, younger shepherds are beginning to show a different attitude towards the presence of wildlife and the impact of predation on their family income. They no longer see wildlife as valuable, and view wolves as a disturbance to their livelihood. This contrasts with the traditional way of relating to wildlife, especially wolves, which are considered sacred regardless of their impact on the family economy, as stated by the majority of the interviewed shepherds. Consequently, the valuable indigenous knowledge held by these communities is at risk, as it is seen as backward by the new generation of shepherds (Sharma et al., 2003). Some of the new shepherds are calling for government control of the predator to keep the population stable and prevent attacks on domestic animals. The research questions are: What is the future of pastoralism in Karnataka? How will the new challenges and attitudes of younger shepherds affect the conservation of wolves? What strategies can be implemented to maintain traditional knowledge while conserving wolf populations? Is there support for farmers through education/training on how to mitigate conflicts (herd protection, pasture management)? We conducted 42 qualitative interviews in the field during November 2023 to analyze the socioeconomic impact of wolf predation on resident and semi-nomadic shepherds, to detect their personal knowledge and attitudes towards the large predator, and to highlight the reasons behind these attitudes.