Page 26 - AWA Vol.42-No3

eNVIrONMeNT CONTrOl

Solutions to the interconnected climate, biodiversity,

and rangelands

The United Nations has designated
2026 as the International Year of Range-
lands and Pastoralists to spotlight the
vital role that rangelands and pastoral-
ist communities play in sustainable food
production, ecosystem stewardship, and
climate change mitigation and adapta-
tion.
In an interview with FAO Newsroom,
Thanawat Tiensin, FAO Assistant Direc-
tor-General and Director of the Animal
Production and Health Division, ex-
plained what rangelands are, where they
are found, how pastoralist systems func-
tion, and why protecting and investing in
them is essential for building more sus-
tainable, resilient and inclusive agrifood
systems worldwide.
1. What are rangelands and why are posed of grass, grass-like plants, forbs, along with big extensions in the world’s
they a vital part of the world’s land shrubs and sometimes trees that pro- drylands. They are also found in some of
systems?
vide ideal support for grazing wildlife the world’s most extreme climates, ex-
Rangelands are lands used, or that can and livestock, and pastoralist communi- periencing both the hottest and coldest
potentially be used, for grazing. They are ties have thrived in these landscapes for weather, like the savannahs of the Sahel
very diverse and comprise the world’s millennia. or the grasslands of Scandinavia. There
drylands, grasslands, shrublands, savan- 2. What are some examples of range- is no global consensus on their extent,
nahs, deserts, steppes, mountain areas, lands? Where are they found? but they are usually estimated to cover
and wetlands, among other ecosystems. around half of the world’s land – mak-
These open landscapes have often been Some of the best-known rangelands ing them one of the largest land areas,
considered wastelands or unproductive are the savannahs of Africa, the vast if not the largest. Some countries, such
lands because conventional agriculture steppes of central Asia, the Pampas of as Mongolia, Australia or Mauritania, are
is often difficult or impossible due to South America, the Great Plains of North mostly covered by rangelands.
unsuitable conditions. Yet they are com- America, or many Eurasian mountains,
3. Who are pastoralists and how does
mobility shape their livelihoods, cul-
tures, and food systems?
Pastoralists are people whose liveli-
hoods mainly depend on herding ani-
mals, predominantly making use of the
natural forage available in the range-
lands. Their herds comprise small ru-
minants, such as sheep and goats, or
large ruminants, such as cattle, reindeer,
yaks, bison and buffalo, camelids such
as camels, llamas, and alpacas, as well
as horses or donkeys, depending on the
ecosystem and the region. The herds can
be mixed, and the animals are mostly
domestic, but they can also be wild or
semi-domesticated as in the case of
reindeers or vicuñas. They usually move
seasonally and daily with their animals
to meet their needs for forage, water, but
also to access markets or avoid disease
24 Vol. 42 No. 3