Grassroots governance and grassland governance in pastoral areas: a case study of Kazakh society in northern Xinjiang, China

This study analysed the transformation of pastoral governance following the state-led sedentarisation of Kazakh society in northern Xinjiang, China. We employed an extended case study to examine this process through the dual dimensions of grassroots governance and grassland governance. The findings showed that the implementation of these governance measures led to the emergence of a hybrid model. In this model, formal state institutions strategically incorporated traditional elements to navigate the tension between standardised policy frameworks and local adaptability. A central finding was that grassland governance, which emphasised ecological control, such as grazing bans and fencing, often sidelined the agency of herders, whereas effective grassroots governance necessitated flexibility. This divergence triggered responses ranging from everyday resistance to the formation of informal rules. The study concluded that sustainable pastoral governance requires a paradigm shift from governing for the herders to governing with the herders, and the strategic integration of local knowledge and herders’ agency into the administrative framework can build a more resilient socioecological system.