Abstract
This work discusses pre-resettlement socioeconomic vulnerabilities to large hydropower dam construction as researched in a Tibetan village on the Mekong River in China's Yunnan Province. Utilizing a vulnerability framework that investigates/engages local knowledge, quantitative and qualitative ethnographic research discovered that prior to resettlement, villagers have developed a very unique economy, engaging themselves in commodity exchanges built upon the highly prized caterpillar fungus (Ophiocordyceps sinensis) and other forest products. Government and private incentives given with the introduction of grapes and red wine have become equally important as cash-generating agriculture. All of these economic resources are shown to display significant vulnerability to future dam induced resettlement due to locale based access which will likely be lost. These findings point to an applied economic development approach to resettlement and economic development in China's western minority regions. The article makes specific recommendations for enhanced local involvement and prior consultation in resettlement planning for hydropower dam construction.