Giving private land rights to herders in China actually made overgrazing worse, not better.
The 'Tragedy of the Commons' theory suggests public land is easily ruined, but in arid environments, dividing land into private fenced plots prevents the nomadic movement animals need to survive. This forced sedentary lifestyle ended up destroying the grass faster than the old public system did.
From Pastoralism to Sustainable Farming: A Just Green Trasition for Grassland Restoration in Alxa League, China
SSRN · 6308100
This article examines grassland governance in China through the case of Alxa, western Inner Mongolia. Empirically, it documents a novel approach that integrates afforestation with cash-crop cultivation to offset income losses caused by grazing restrictions, reconciling ecological restoration with livelihood security in arid regions. Theoretically, it advances institutional theory, credibility analysis, and just transition scholarship, contributing to political economy debates on grassland govern