International Year of Rangelands & Pastoralists Effort Supports UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration
World Environment Day, 5 June 2021, and the launch of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (UN-DER) provides an opportunity for alerting people around the world to common issues related to halting and reversing ecosystem degradation. This is one of the many themes also being addressed by a global effort to gain a designation for an International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP) in 2026.
Nearly half of the Earth’s land surface is classified as rangeland, and its health is critical to the wellbeing of more than 500 million people. Pastoralists and others who derive their livelihoods from rangelands are both users and stewards of the land. This stewardship is critical for achieving food and water security, resilient economies, and improved environmental conditions. However, many forces threaten the productivity and ecological integrity of these lands and their caretakers. Rangeland degradation
increases conflicts over diminishing natural resources, endangers national security, compromises economic productivity, and robs our youngest generation of opportunities for a prosperous future. Yet, rangeland systems remain subject to widespread misperceptions, biases and knowledge gaps. These landscapes and livelihoods therefore need urgent attention from many sectors and many stakeholders.
An IYRP could provide the impetus and momentum necessary for realizing an ambitious agenda. It would increase worldwide understanding of the importance of rangelands for global food security and environmental services. By focusing attention on the need for enlightened policies that foster innovation toward sustainability, it could help overcome regional poverty and boost efforts for investment in restoring degraded rangelands. Countries could improve access to multilateral funding that will increase scientific capacity to monitor and predict trends in rangelands and exchange experiences and best practices, resulting in a global community working toward the sustainability and well-being of rangelands and livestock producers well beyond the IYRP.
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s Committee on Agriculture has endorsed the IYRP, building on support from over 50 countries, led by the Government of Mongolia, and over 160 non-governmental partners worldwide, (please visit: https://www.iyrp.info). The final vote for the proposed IYRP will be held in September 2021 at the next meeting of the UN General Assembly. If you are interested in helping with this effort, please contact Barbara Hutchinson [barbarah@cals.arizona.edu]. There are active Support Groups at the global and regional levels that are engaged in awareness raising campaigns through social media and events, as well as outreach to gain additional letters of support. You can make a difference!