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Resilience in China’s Mountainous Ethnic Minority Areas: An Inquiry into Mutual Aid Networks in Nujiang Prefecture During Disasters

Author

Listed:
  • Zha ShiLin

    (People’s Public Security University of China, Department of Criminology)

  • Meng Jia

    (People’s Public Security University of China, Department of National Security)

  • Dou YiFei

    (People’s Public Security University of China, Department of Criminology)

  • Dai JiCheng

    (People’s Public Security University of China, Department of Criminology)

Abstract

This study examines how informal mutual-aid networks enhance disaster resilience in mountainous ethnic regions, focusing on China’s Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture. Drawing on fieldwork conducted between 2023 and 2025, we demonstrate that traditional institutions—the Lisu Huotou system and Nu family rituals—serve as critical vehicles of social and cultural capital. These networks bolster resilience across the disaster cycle: pre-disaster trust-building, rapid kinship-based mobilization during emergencies, and post-disaster livelihood recovery through labor exchange and collective rituals. The paper argues that such informal institutions are not merely coping mechanisms but essential endogenous infrastructure for resilience. We therefore propose synergistic governance that formally recognizes and resources these networks, integrating local cultural capital with external support.

Suggested Citation

  • Zha ShiLin & Meng Jia & Dou YiFei & Dai JiCheng, 2026. "Resilience in China’s Mountainous Ethnic Minority Areas: An Inquiry into Mutual Aid Networks in Nujiang Prefecture During Disasters," Environmental Management, Springer, vol. 76(6), pages 1-13, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:envman:v:76:y:2026:i:6:d:10.1007_s00267-026-02497-y
    DOI: 10.1007/s00267-026-02497-y
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