Resettlement site in Ningxiu

Ningxiu was one of the townships with a successful establishment of a resettlement village during the first wave in 2003-2006. By 2008, the local new village already exceeded the number of originally scheduled houses. As in the other sites in Zeku County, the houses erected here are one or two-family brick bungalows (see figure 43). A school building is provided on site.

The government reports describe a slight income improvement among the affected households after they moved into the new urban site in Ningxiu. The 328 households scheduled to resettle here from Zhigeri village during the first resettlement planning wave increased their income by 16.4 percent (from 1,223.58 RMB to 1,424.13 RMB). In comparison with the average income of the whole township, it was still higher by 2.46 percent. The report further says that the income of the resettled households is obtained from planting vegetables among 60 households, 18 households fatten cows and sheep, 12 households are engaged in transportation, 35 in business, 46 households work on external constructions and 48 households are engaged in other activities²⁶⁴. The report does not comment if any government subsidies were counted as part of the income of the resettled households, nor does it say if only cash income is counted or if it also includes livestock as an important part of the pastoral household economy. Further, it does not comment on the monthly expenses the resettled households have and which might have increased through purchasing, for example, food for money in comparison to actual expenses on the grassland.

Grassland with a total area of 87,000 mu also belongs to the Ningxiu resettlement, of which 81,800 mu can be used for herding (implying about 17.9 mu per person). The official records say that in 2009, 4,845 livestock grazed on this grassland. The pastoralists who moved to this resettlement permanently reduced their livestock by 6,174 sheep units. The livestock reduction, together with seasonal herding, helped to reduce the grazing pressure and improve the balance between grassland and livestock. As a result, the vegetation coverage rate increased by 10 percent and the grass density increased by 15 percent.²⁶⁵ According to my pastoralist informants from the resettlement near Ningxiu administrative centre, the people came here in search of an easier lifestyle. In

264 AD XI: 4.

265 AD XXX: 6.

the grassland, the pastures are deteriorating and there is insufficient grass to feed the livestock herds. In Zeku County, the population is still growing and in some parts the capacity of the grassland has been exceeded. To reach the resettlement quota given by the Central or Provincial Government, the local government officials visit the pastoralist communities to offer the people the possibility of giving up herding and moving into a modern house. State financial support was also promised to those who move.²⁶⁶ The pastoralists are usually unable to imagine what life is going to be like in an urban or village setting, and most of the arguments the officials give sound positive and reasonable. However, the households who accept the governmental offer are invariably those who have suffered the loss of their livestock through some natural disaster such as snowstorms, or poor households with bad pastureland and insufficient livestock to make a living. Wealthy families always prefer to remain and continue herding animals.

In Ningxiu, the houses were not distributed for free, hence the pastoralists who moved in had to pay 3,000 RMB for each house. After settling down in the new house, most of my informants agreed that they would immediately return back to the grassland, if they were allowed to do so and if the pastures were not in such a poor condition. They agreed that making a living in the new urban environment is sometimes even harder than before as herders. Dawa Tsering, a 61-year-old pastoralist relocated to the Ningxiu resettlement, summarizes the situation as follows:

”The government built some houses here. It is good for the children and also we get some support from the state. That is why we wanted to move in here.

...

It used to be better in the grassland. We had our own livestock and we could wander around the grassland. We are pastoralists. We used to have our own milk and butter and we knew there was always something to eat.

The disadvantage was that lately there was not enough grass to feed our animals. Also, we have to keep our animals inside a fenced court and

266 A 61-year-old pastoralist, resettled to Ningxiu resettlement, interviewed in June 2008.

wild animals are eating the grass. What shall we do in the future? There are more people and the grassland is decreasing. They told us they had a solution for us, a house in the village. So now we are here, but there is nothing to do for living. We have no pastures. There is a school for the children and a house, but what about elderly people? The land belongs to us, but still it is not better than before. There is nothing to live on.

...

They told us we will have our own garden, where the elderly people can work, but we do not know how to grow vegetables. They told us that everything will be just great. A house given by the government and electricity is great, but still there is nothing here to give us food. Where shall we take our tsampa? That is why the new place is bad indeed.

...

Figure 43: Ningxiu Township resettlement, Zeku County, June 2008

What do I wish? An old person of 61 like me, a herder, I wish to be in the grassland full of flowers herding my livestock, drink milk and yoghurt...go there where the good grass grows...But recently there is not enough grass and many animals died and so the people became unhappy.

They went to the town and cried and asked the government to help them.

So the government built these houses for children and old people. So it is like this and we cannot return back. Except for some vegetables there is nothing here. Old people like me must earn money, so we take what work there is, collect caterpillar fungus or work on road construction. Still we do not earn enough...“²⁶⁷