This book analyzes the social and economic situation of the Shahsevans - mountain nomads in the harsh ecological environment of northwestern Iran. Based on in-depth field work while living with the nomads for a year, the book's author succeeds in offering a vivid insight into the Shahsevans' strategy to cope with both political impacts and the changing environmental conditions of their traditional way of life. At the same time, the book reveals the intensity of climatic change and the nomads' adaptation measures to these ecological threats. It is a well-documented and comprehensive analysis of the interactions between nature and societies under stress. As such, it will serve as a model for urgently needed comparative studies in the mountain belts of Western and Central Asia. (Series: ZEF Development Studies - Vol. 22)