All over the world nomadic populations are dwindling under the pressure from urbanisation, environmental degradation, and forced resettlement policies. In China, a resettlement programme in the name of grassland protection is threatening the nomads throughout the country. Nomads are required to reduce their cattle or sell it entirely. They are relocated in subsidised housing where they have little or no alternative source of income.  Chinese nomads belong to ethnic minorities, Tibetan, Kazakh, Kirghiz, Mongolian, for whom this lifestyle is a founding element of their culture. Beyond the livelihood of nomadic families it is the culture of these minorities which is under threat.

In Yushu (Qinghai) Tibetans attend a horse festival, a long running tradition at the core of Tibet's nomadic culture. Many such festivals have been recently suppressed by the Chinese authorities, out of fear of unrest.
A Kazakh nomad on his horse, in the grasslands of the Altai range, facing a propaganda billboard saying : "The foundation of this county is in its environment; environmental protection is the priority; must realise sustainable development of the gra
Fence in the grassland of the Sanjiangyuan reserve. Fencing has been one of the first government policy implemented to control nomadic populations. Prior to this policy, grasslands where communally managed by the nomads. Through fencing,  
In a residential compound recently completed, but yet waiting for its inhabitants, a Tibetan herder has brought his livestock, sheep and horses, to graze in the rubbles.  The government campaign to move Tibetan herders to urban areas and curtai
Rows of houses built for resettled nomads. In the name of environmental protection, the government has implemented a policy of nomads resettlement putting their traditional lifestyle and livelihood at risk. This policy, by curtailing pastoralism, of
At the foot of the Mutzagh Ata mountain a Kyrgyz village with rows of newly built houses for nomads, part of nationwide plan to settle nomadic populations.
A Tibetan boy playing with a toy next to an empty home part of a recently built housing project for relocated Tibetan nomads in Madoi (Qinghai).   
A Tibetan nomad, holding his granddaughter in the house they recently moved in. They bought the house with government subsidies. Although featuring many amenities of modern living, satellite TV, washing machine, fridge..etc, the owners complain abou
Wemah a 75 years old Tibetan nomad at his home, built with funds from the local government. Wemah who was born out a family of wealthy herders, has now no livestock to live on after the last few cows he owned were stolen by cattle thieves.
At sunrise, a Tibetan horseman walks his horse through the smoke coming from a juniper fire, a cleansing and strengthening ritual, before taking part in a horse race at Yushu horse festival. Nomadism is a pillar of Tibetan culture. The governement r
In Yushu, during a horse festival, nomads show their equestrian skills. Horse festivals are traditionally held every summer in the Tibetan grasslands and are part of the nomadic culture. Many have recently been cancelled by the government for f
Young Tibetans crossing paths with Buddhist monks in Yushu (Qinghai) a market town for nomads of the region. For many of the younger generation of Tibetans, urban life is more appealing than the nomadic lifestyle of their parents however they remain
A young nomad playing pool. Forced to give up herding, it is difficult for nomads to find alternate source of income. With little education, no professional training, and no job market, many nomads live on the government compensations until the
Meilan (left) and his cousin, two ethnic Kazakh herders, take a break in the barren landscape of Northern Xinjiang. Meilan would like to quit the nomadic life and find work in the city but can not, he is the elder son and has to take care of the fam
In the grassland of the Altai mountains, a young Kazakh nomad standing in front of the family yurt where both his parents stand, during the yearly migration from summer to winter pastures.   
In his tent, a Kazakh nomad feeding his 9 months old daughter with a bottle, while his son is playing outside the family tent. They are on their way to the summer grassland and have establish camp in a deserted landscape. Desertification has been in
Near Buerqin (Xinjiang), in his tent, a Kazakh nomad feeding his 9 months old daughter, next to his son. Some in his extended family have moved to nearby Kazakhstan, as they were forced to sell their herd. The family owns a dozen camels, 25 cows and
Young Tajiks, playing with a smartphone made of wood and felt, in the grassland near Tashgurkan (Xinjiang). In spite of the government efforts to curtail nomadic pastoralism, this family moves to the grasslands every summer. Concrete yurts have been
In Tagong (Sichuan) a beggar sleeping on the street in spite of sub freezing temperatures. The government policy of resettling the nomads is a threat to their livelihood. Most of them, with no education, and ill prepared for life in the city are una
In Yushu (Qinghai) Tibetan nomads surrounding a middle-man at cordyceps market. The cordyceps is a highly coveted fungus used in traditional Chinese medicine, harvested in spring at high altitude in the Himalayas. Some nomads make tens of thousand o
Chinese tourists enjoying the Tibetan grassland near Xiahe (Gansu). Some Tibetan nomads in the region have set-up camps for tourists, cashing on the fascination for nomadic lifestyle.. A new source of income for them as their livelihood is under thr
A Chinese tourists at a horse-riding camp set-up by Tibetan nomads in the grassland near Xiahe (Gansu). Some nomads in the region have set-up camps for tourists, cashing on the fascination for nomadic lifestyle. A new source of income for them
In Hexingten (Inner Mongolia) a herder takes his sheep grazing nearby a coal to gas power plant, polluting the water and the air. Local herders have been protesting the plant and ended up in jail. Throughout Inner Mongolia, herders and nomads have h
75 years old, Dushaocai sitting on her bed smoking, in Jarud Banner (Inner Mongolia). Dushaocai had to leave her grassland in Holingol due to pollution from a nearby aluminium mill. She was forced to resettle in an urban area, separated from her son
A nomad wearing a hat made of fox fur, at the sources of the Yangtze river where he and his family live year around which was impossible just a few years ago. Rising temperatures and receding glaciers allow yaks to graze in the area. 
Young Tibetan nomads walking towards the Jianggendiru glacier source of the Yangtze river, in one of the most desolate and remote region of the Tibetan plateau. In large parts of the region, the Three Rivers Natural Reserve, grazing has been banned
The empty grasslands of the Three Rivers Park on the Tibetan plateau. Grazing is banned in thousands of square miles of this region and nomads are nowhere to be seen. A policy implemented in the name of environment protection, but increasingly chall
A Tibetan nomad, showing a picture of himself at the age of 25. A nationwide campaign of nomad resettlement, in the name of environment protection is pushing Tibetan to give up pastoralism for a sedentary life alien to them.
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