Modernization and Pasture Degradation: A Comparative Study of Two Sami Reindeer Pasture Regions in Norway

Riseth, Jan Åge; Vatn, Arild

doi:10.3368/le.85.1.87

Cited by 41 publications

(107 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…The public investments in Saami pastoral communities are, however, regulated by the General Agreement for the Reindeer Industry. The agreement is a result of negotiation between the government and the Saami Reindeer Herders' Association (Ulvevadet 2008, Riseth andVatn 2009). The comanagement boards and the negotiations have been a part of the governance system since the 1978 Reindeer Management Act, which means that Saami pastoralists have participated in policy making.…”

Section: The Study Systemmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The payments to Saami pastoralists are channeled through the local districts and the operation units. The comanagement system, organized in national, regional, and local boards, regulates operation units, reindeer numbers, and access to different pastures (Ulvevadet 2008, Riseth andVatn 2009). The public investments in Saami pastoral communities are, however, regulated by the General Agreement for the Reindeer Industry.…”

Section: The Study Systemmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The income of Saami pastoralists is dependent on reindeer abundance, which fluctuates according to productivity on summer pastures, winter herd losses, and harvest rates (Tveraa et al 2007, Riseth andVatn 2009 (Morellet et al 2007). Carcass mass is not only an indicator of the availability of pasture resources, but is also an indicator of ecological resilience, because reduced weight increases susceptibility to losses in adverse winters as well as to predators (see Appendix 1).…”

Section: Harvest Rates and Carcass Massmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…From 1976 there was a sudden increase in public investments directed toward modernization of the production system. The reforms included (i) payments to herders and local districts to increase net income, (ii) investments in housing, technology, infrastructure, research, and education, (iii) herd management to increase production per unit area, i.e., intensification, and (iv) disaster funds to compensate extraordinary losses (Riseth and Vatn 2009). When introducing such big push policies, it is crucial to craft policies that fit the ecological dynamics of the environment.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

The Ghost of Development Past: the Impact of Economic Security Policies on Saami Pastoral Ecosystems

Hausner¹,

Fauchald²,

Tveraa³

et al. 2011

E&S

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ABSTRACT. To ensure economic viability over time, any efforts to meet the Millennium Development Goals need to reconcile conservation with development interventions. Particularly, in marginal and risk prone areas erosion of resilience could make production systems more susceptible to environmental risks that compromise the economic security. By longitudinal analyses of long-term data records we investigated the impacts of big push policies on Saami pastoral ecosystems in Arctic Norway. The big push was accompanied by reindeer herd accumulation and a corresponding degradation of resilience, increasing the susceptibility to herd losses to predators and adverse winters. For the last 20 years the Norwegian government has worked to halt degradation of pasture ecosystems and reduce susceptibility to environmental risks. These intended win-win policies have mainly been based on economic incentives, which have been developed together with Saami pastoralists through negotiated agreements. We argue that the continued degradation of the Saami pastoral ecosystems is a "ghost of the development past", as the big push policies have resulted in an economic security trap (EST). The gradual reduction of resilience has persisted as the ex post payments of disaster relief and predator compensation have impeded the long-term actions to reduce susceptibility to environmental risks, i.e., ex ante policies, thereby increasing dependency on elevated economic inputs to manage the risks. The transfer of liability for managing risks to the benefactor, both through ex ante and ex post policies, has further discouraged and constrained opportunities for adaptation by the pastoralists.

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Section: The Study Systemmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Study Systemmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Harvest Rates and Carcass Massmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

The Ghost of Development Past: the Impact of Economic Security Policies on Saami Pastoral Ecosystems

Hausner¹,

Fauchald²,

Tveraa³

et al. 2011

E&S

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show abstract

“…RussianYamal and Lapland) may have caused either pasture degradation or plant communities to shift from shrubdominated tundra to moss, graminoid-dominated tundra Riseth and Vatn 2009;Yu, Epstein et al 2011). The overall effects of grazing on arctic tundra suggest that increases in vegetation productivity due to climate warming may be abated by heavy grazing.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Arctic Tundra Vegetation Dynamics under Changing Environmental Conditions

Qin¹

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The Arctic is a system with strong interconnectedness among components and now is experiencing dramatic alterations due to climate change. With amplified climate warming and greater accessibility to the Arctic, anthropogenic factors such as industrial development, climate change, and animal husbandry have become increasingly important to arctic ecosystems. The objective of this dissertation is to use a vegetation model and remote sensing to better understand the dynamics of the arctic tundra biome in a chaning environment with emphasis on the effects of climate, soils, grazing and land use.

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Livestock as Insurance and Social Status: Evidence from Reindeer Herding in Norway

Johannesen

Skonhoft

2010

Environ Resource Econ

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Modernization and Pasture Degradation: A Comparative Study of Two Sami Reindeer Pasture Regions in Norway

Cited by 41 publications

References 24 publications

The Ghost of Development Past: the Impact of Economic Security Policies on Saami Pastoral Ecosystems

The Ghost of Development Past: the Impact of Economic Security Policies on Saami Pastoral Ecosystems

Arctic Tundra Vegetation Dynamics under Changing Environmental Conditions

Livestock as Insurance and Social Status: Evidence from Reindeer Herding in Norway

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