Yak herding, a market-based tradition, is vanishing gradually. The changing environment such as climate change, policy context, and socioeconomic change is not in favor of yak herding. Using a choice experiment survey approach, this study determines the yak herders’ preferences to improve yak herding in Kanchenjunga Landscape, Nepal. The results of the choice response analysis indicate that yak herders prefer to improve yak herding by improving rangeland management, infrastructure, and health and safety services. Herders have a high preference for yak insurance (US dollar [USD] 6.82/yak), followed by cultivating an improved variety of grass in rangeland (USD 6.71/yak), improved health services (USD 5.68/yak), allowing controlled burning (USD 4.72/yak), and permanent structure of shed (USD 4.39/yak). Additionally, this analysis suggests that a policy is required to allow controlled burning to improve the condition of rangeland, which can contribute to reducing the encroachment of shrubs. Similarly, there is also a need to further explore the appropriate insurance mechanism for yaks to involve all yak herders and reduce their risk.

中文翻译：

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喜马拉雅山脉东部牧民对维持牦牛放牧的偏好

放牧牦牛这种以市场为基础的传统正在逐渐消失。气候变化、政策背景和社会经济变化等不断变化的环境不利于牦牛放牧。本研究采用选择实验调查方法，确定了尼泊尔干城章嘉峰地区牦牛牧民改善牦牛放牧的偏好。选择响应分析的结果表明，牦牛牧民更愿意通过改善牧场管理、基础设施以及健康和安全服务来改善牦牛放牧。牧民高度重视牦牛保险（6.82 美元/牦牛），其次是在牧场种植改良品种的草（6.71 美元/牦牛）、改善医疗服务（5.68 美元/牦牛）、允许控制燃烧（ 4.72 美元/牦牛），以及永久性棚屋结构（4.39 美元/牦牛）。此外，这项分析表明，需要制定一项政策来允许控制燃烧，以改善牧场的条件，这有助于减少灌木丛的侵占。同样，也需要进一步探索合适的牦牛保险机制，让所有牦牛牧民参与进来，降低他们的风险。