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.
CITATION STYLE
Levine, J., Isaeva, A., Eddy, I., Foggin, M., Gergel, S., Hagerman, S., & Zerriffi, H. (2017). A cognitive approach to the post-Soviet Central Asian pasture puzzle: new data from Kyrgyzstan. Regional Environmental Change, 17(3), 941–947. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-017-1122-8
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