On the basis of a précis of available knowledge on traditional nomadic ways of life and livelihoods on the Tibetan Plateau this book presents an analysis of current conditions of livelihood security in pastoralist areas. The example of the remote Eastern Tibetan region of Yushu illustrates how nomadic societies in times of transition use the resources at their disposal for securing their livelihood. This predominantly rural district is an ecologically vulnerable and economically marginal highland region within China’s present-day Qinghai Province. In case studies that were surveyed with qualitative and quantitative methods, the basis for local livelihoods of pastoralist and agro-pastoralist households was assessed. In this context the extraordinary role of caterpillar fungus is elucidated – a resource that is virtually unknown in the Western World but which is of vital importance for Tibetan nomads in the plateau’s Eastern half. The study at hand discusses in which way resource-oriented operation schemes and exogenous factors interact, thus defining the extent of livelihood security, vulnerability and resilience of pastoral households, local groups and the super-ordinate society in this part of the Tibetan Plateau.

The unique pastoralist economy, society, and culture on the Tibetan plateau has experienced profound changes during the 20th century: An ever closer integration into the Chinese state, a wide array of policies directed at ‘development’, modernization, and urbanization, and dramatic economic transformation. In its fifteen field-work based chapters, written by Tibetan, Han Chinese and Western scholars from the social and environmental sciences, this volume presents a selection of current perspectives on these recent transformations and explores their specific impact on local pastoral livelihoods.