Our research
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We are examining and comparing the specific responses and recovery to the Covid-19 pandemic in rural Mongolia and Kyrgyzstan. Research focuses on agro-pastoralist households (people living by a mixture of agriculture and livestock herding) and rural governance institutions to understand and respond to the challenges faced by rural pastoralist society.
Rural households in Mongolia and Kyrgyzstan already face the interlinking risks of climate change, insecure tenure and environmental pollution from mineral extraction, and livestock diseases. These environmental conditions, unstable political conditions, corruption (Rossabi 2021), poor infrastructure, growing rural-urban divides, and the rising geopolitical influence of China creates unique challenges for traditional socio-economic systems.
Covid-19 has exacerbated many of these issues, creating new vulnerabilities and possibilities. Travel restrictions and border closures in Mongolia and Kyrgyzstan continue to disrupt markets and supply chains for agricultural products. Raw cashmere prices dropped 60% compared to the prior year (Sustainable Fibre Alliance 2020), whilst the closure of urban centres reduced rural markets and household income generation. Wider impacts on household investments may have further effects on access to education (see Ahearn and Bumochir 2016), healthcare, winter fodder supplies and livestock medicines which increases vulnerability to severe winter conditions.
However, the Covid-19 pandemic has also encouraged and prompted innovations. Traditional mobile pastoralists livelihoods produce milk, meat and dairy products which are key to rural consumption and national food security (FAO 2021). Agro-pastoralists’ adaptive skills softened the impact of Covid-19 in 2020 (Sternberg et al. 2021). These deserve further investigation to support longer-term systems for sustainable recovery. As two post-socialist countries with rural economies largely split between mineral extraction and household-organized livestock-based mobile livelihoods, Mongolian and Kyrgyzstan present an opportunity for comparative research. Our initial project scoping reveals pandemic implications for rural households, local institutions, and community development, mirroring global Covid-19 challenges across Asia and Africa. Through experience, engagement and expertise, our team will identify opportunities to contribute to positive post-Covid19 and rural recovery in Mongolia and Kyrgyzstan, outcomes relevant to global pastoral societies.
to understand the multi-scalar socio-economic and geographic dimensions of Covid-19 response in rural areas. This will be done by examining decision-making processes and responses at three scales: the rural household level, local institutions, and the national government;
to advance civic engagement, democratic participation, social well-being and an inclusive recovery through evidence-based, collaborative and multi-stakeholder approaches;
to empower researchers at every stage of their career through a comprehensive capacity building and skills development programme.
Through fieldwork-based evidence and engagement activities, the project will seek to empower rural communities as they transition into post-Covid response. Strengthened communication (ICT) and markets, sustainable lives and movement, and more resilient and equitable systems will be emphasised. This includes opportunities for women, respect for herding and farming, viable education and lifestyle opportunities to build inclusive and enduring rural societies.