Pastoralists and rangelands deserve the same level of global attention as forests and agriculture

Kathrine Johnsen & Björn Alfthan

By GRID-Arendal

March 13^th, 2019

Pastoralism, raising animals through some form of mobile and open-space grazing, is practiced by millions of people globally. It has roots in every part of the world and goes back thousands of years to the beginning of agriculture. While pastoral societies have existed for millennia, we still don’t know that much about the interlinkages between pastoral practices and the rangelands these depend upon.

This week UN Environment released the report A case of benign neglect: Knowledge gaps about sustainability in pastoralism and rangelands. The report was prepared by GRID-Arendal for the UN Environment as a way to address the UNEA-2 resolution on Combating Desertification, Land Degradation and Drought and Promoting Sustainable Pastoralism and Rangelands. It identifies the need for an integrated, global assessment of rangelands and pastoralists that will provide a knowledge baseline crucial for monitoring the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) among pastoralists.

Joyce Msuya, Acting Executive Director of UN Environment, points out that a good knowledge-base will help countries develop appropriate policies and programmes that reach out to the mobile pastoralists and support their role in building a greener economy - a global challenge we all share.

Existing global assessments tend not to distinguish between natural rangelands and other habitats, nor between pastoralists and other rural dwellers. This has resulted in significant knowledge gaps. Consequently, there are many questions we cannot answer with confidence concerning who pastoralists are, where their natural rangelands are located, and how land-use policy is affecting their land. In addition, the knowledge gaps make it difficult to understand the effect climate change is having on their land and lifestyles, and how the international community can best support and promote sustainable rangeland management and pastoral livelihoods.

Pastoralists and rangelands deserve the same level of global attention as forests and agriculture

Benjamin Mutambukah, from the Eastern and Southern African Pastoralists Network, points to some of the current challenges of pastoralists, such as the increasing competition for land between pastoralists and mining companies. This conflict results in pastoralist communities losing parts of their traditional land and their options for mobility. Mr. Mutambukah explains that this not only greatly impacts pastoralists’ ability to use seasonally available pasture and water, it also increases land degradation and poverty, forcing many to search for alternative livelihoods.

The findings and recommendations of the gap analysis report were discussed by Ministers of Environment and other stakeholders during the 4th UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-4) at an event organised by the International Support Group for the call for an International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists.

Mr. Tserenbat Namsrai, Minister of Environment and Tourism of Mongolia, provides some opening remarks at the UNEA-4 side event.

The UNEA-4 event on Tuesday was well-attended by governments, civil society and experts alike. A lively discussion followed the formal presentation.

The participants called upon countries to strengthen sustainable pastoralism as an important contributor to the implementation of several SDGs. Particularly, the SDG target 15.3* was highlighted as a target that cannot be achieved without the involvement of pastoralists from around the world.

There are current negotiations for a new UNEA resolution on this topic that call for a global international assessment on pastoralism and rangelands – a direct recommendation from the gap analysis. The draft resolution also includes language about the need for establishing an International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists. The resolution will be tabled for approval by governments at the end of UNEA-4 this week.

*Target 15.3: By 2030, combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil, including land affected by desertification, drought and floods, and strive to achieve a land degradation-neutral world