Sustaining the livelihoods and resource base of poor households in the culturally sensitive, strategically important and extremely diverse pastoral region poses one of the foremost challenges confronting the Chinese government. This much-needed study provides a guide to and analysis of the intricate web of policies and institutions that now impact on grassland degradation and sustainable development in China's pastoral region. The book offers a unique reference and insights into the policy and institutional environment for academics, researchers, consultants and officials in grassland management, livestock systems and rural development. The in-depth analysis also reveals broader insights into how China grapples with complex ecological and livelihood problems as it rapidly modernises and develops.