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A cognitive approach to the post-Soviet Central Asian pasture puzzle: new data from Kyrgyzstan

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Abstract

Despite internationally recognized definitions, there remains debate over what constitutes ‘actual’ degradation in various agro-pastoral contexts. This contention is especially pronounced in post-Soviet Central Asia. In this paper, we report on new interview data from the post-Soviet Kyrgyz Republic. These data evidence greater diversity of local perceptions of pasture degradation than previously reported. We then demonstrate how considering the role of well-documented aspects of human cognition demystifies the otherwise puzzling inconsistency in local pasture degradation narratives. We conclude by reflecting on the implications of this analytical approach for management.

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Acknowledgements

We wish to thank the Partnership for the Advancement of Human Development in Africa and Asia (AKDN and Government of Canada) for their financial support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Liu Institute for Global Issues, UBC, 6476 NW Marine Dr, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z2, Canada

    Jordan Levine

  2. Mountain Societies Research Institute, University of Central Asia, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

    Aiganysh Isaeva & Marc Foggin

  3. Faculty of Forestry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada

    Ian Eddy, Sarah Gergel, Shannon Hagerman & Hisham Zerriffi

Authors
  1. Jordan Levine
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  2. Aiganysh Isaeva
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  3. Ian Eddy
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  4. Marc Foggin
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  5. Sarah Gergel
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  6. Shannon Hagerman
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  7. Hisham Zerriffi
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Correspondence to Jordan Levine.

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Editor: Nicolas Dendoncker.

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Levine, J., Isaeva, A., Eddy, I. et al. A cognitive approach to the post-Soviet Central Asian pasture puzzle: new data from Kyrgyzstan. Reg Environ Change 17, 941–947 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-017-1122-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-017-1122-8

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