An ethnographic study of Gujjar-Bakarwal Tribe resource management with reference to their local practices and traditional institutions

Abstract

Abstract Seasonal migration of humans and livestock between different agroecological zones is the oldest pastoralist practice in many mountain regions worldwide, significantly impacting their sustenance and resource management. Gujjar-Bakarwal Tribe, which predominantly lives in the Pir-Panjal range of the Himalayan Mountains in India, also practices seasonal migration for the optimization of its resources within the framework of local practices and traditional institutions. This study explores the role of their local traditions and traditional institutions, such as Jirga (Panchayats Institutions), in managing natural resources accounting for the interdependence of seasons and social life. In addition, it aims at understanding the deterministic role of seasons on the socio-economic life of the Gujjar Bakarwal tribe. It analyses how the practice of transhumance has been sustained in the context of the socio-economic and cultural landscape, seasonality, and climate change. The informal interactions and conversations with local people were crucial sources for understanding sociality according to seasonality. Focus group discussions, individual interviews, and participant observation were used to identify the current local institutions that fit this ethnographic study's nature. The findings indicate that the local practices and traditional institutions (Jirga) in the target area play a significant role in determining and sustaining each socio-economic practice with its distinctive objective and level of importance. It also suggests the measures policy-makers can take to strengthen or supplement these institutions and practices in the present scenario. Present research gives insights into the importance of local practices and traditional institutions amongst the Gujjar-Bakarwal Tribe for sustainable, social, and economic development by effectively managing their natural resources.