Title: JSPS Joint Covid Call - Comparative Research on Pastoral Societies in Post-Covid 19 Inner Asian Countries
Funder: Economic and Social Research Council

Abstract: The overarching purpose or aims of this research is threefold: 1) to understand the multi-scalar socio-economic and geographic dimensions of Covid-19 response in rural areas. This will be done by examining decision-making processes and responses at three scales: the rural household level, local institutions, and the national government; 2) to advance civic engagement, democratic participation, social well-being and an inclusive recovery through evidence-based, collaborative and multi-stakeholder approaches; 3) to empower researchers at every stage of their career through a comprehensive capacity building and skills development programme. The scientific significance of this project lies in its comparative and interdisciplinary approach to build a comprehensive data set on an understudied topic. Comparative work on rural society in Mongolian and Kyrgyzstan is rare and research on Covid response in the area is novel given the recent nature of the pandemic. Much research conducted in rural Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia is limited to development projects and think tanks. This has led to many knowledge gaps and a diminished evidence-base for policy making. The threefold aims of our project described above are underpinned by specific objectives, outlined below. Aim 1 is to understand the multi-scalar socio-economic and geographic dimensions of Covid response in rural areas in Mongolia and Kyrgyzstan. This aim will be advanced through three lines of inquiry focusing on a) rural agro-pastoralist households, b) local institutions, and c) national government. We will conduct original field research to clarify how households have navigated the pandemic, including the factors of: access to information and information technology, reliability of information, gendered differences in Covid impact, geographical factors such as seasonality, environmental conditions, proximity to settlements, tenure security, presence of informal and formal social safety nets, traditional mobility practices, impact on livelihoods including access to markets and political participation. We seek to clarify to what extent some households were more adversely affected than others and how the aforementioned factors contributed to these differentiated impacts. We will clarify the role of local formal and informal institutions including government administration and citizen councils, religious organizations or clientage networks in Covid management in rural areas. Here we are particularly interested in clarifying changes in public decision-making forum by local government, political participation of local agro-pastoralist households, the nature and extent of local lockdowns including how these were implemented and enforced. We will further clarify the extent to which the national government designed policies specifically for rural areas, national safeguards put in place and the extent of national vaccination programmes in rural areas. Aim 2 will be achieved through our multi-stakeholder, collaborative approach to conducting research. Initial scoping will engage with our project partners in Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia to ensure our research agenda reflects key issues and capacity gaps on the ground. Data results will be the basis for policy briefs, knowledge exchange events and will contribute to developing recommendations and innovations for inclusive and sustainable Covid recovery. Aim 3 will be advanced across each phase of the project through targeted activities, which are outlined in question 5 of this section

Lay abstract: Covid-19 has upset development progress and paradigms in Mongolia and Kyrgyzstan. Yet the pandemic also has created new opportunities to innovate, evaluate and redirect policy and practice across rural communities and customary livelihoods in these steppe nations. To address post-Covid-19 challenges, experienced Japanese and UK researchers will combine their expertise, shared experience and insights to explore, evaluate and inform inclusive and sustainable policy responses in Mongolia and Kyrgyzstan. As lower-middle income countries, the pandemic intersects with complex environmental and socio-economic factors impacting traditional rural mobile pastoralists and agro-pastoralist livelihoods which are centers for food production and cultural heritage. The project brings together eight Japanese universities with the University of Oxford, building on over 77 years of combined experience working in Mongolia and Central Asia. Original field research will center on rural livelihoods, governance and community engagement to understand the multi-scalar socio-economic and geographic dimensions of Covid-19 responses in rural areas. Challenges include citizen engagement and participation in decision-making, local government capacity, trade and markets, access and availability of information and public services, including health, restrictions on movement and financial support prioritising sustainable economic activity. By advancing a collaborative research agenda, our project aims to advance civic engagement, democratic participation, social well-being and an inclusive Covid recovery through evidence-based, collaborative and multi-stakeholder approaches and will empower researchers at every stage of their career through a comprehensive capacity building and skills development programme. Joint research will identify post-pandemic opportunities to address key issues, transition and improve rural livelihoods, governance and support services. Through fieldwork-based evidence and engagement activities, the project will seek to empower rural communities as they transition into post-Covid response. Strengthened communication (ICT) and markets, sustainable lives and movement and more resilient and equitable systems will be emphasised. This includes opportunities for women, respect for herding and farming, viable education and lifestyle opportunities to build inclusive and enduring rural societies.

Research activity codes: 8.1 ORGANISATION AND DELIVERY OF SERVICES;8.3 POLICY, ETHICS AND RESEARCH GOVERNANCE
Health categories: INFECTION