Gaps in knowledge about pastoralism & rangelands

UN Environment and GRID-Arendal (Norway) produced the report “A case of benign neglect: knowledge gaps about sustainability in pastoralism and rangelands” (2019, 78pp) by Kathrine Johnsen et al, in response to the United Nations Environment Assembly’s resolution “Combating desertification, land degradation and drought and promoting sustainable pastoralism and rangelands” at UNEA–2. This resolution acknowledged the dearth of information globally on pastoralism and rangelands

Pastoralism is practised by millions of people worldwide. It has roots in every part of the world and back thousands of years to the beginning of agriculture. But while pastoralist societies have existed for millennia, relatively little is known about the linkages between pastoral practices and the rangelands these depend upon. Many questions cannot be answered with confidence because of widespread gaps in knowledge about rangelands and pastoralists, yet the answers to these questions have profound implications for national and global policy and for dealing with climate change.

The report provides evidence that pastoralism and rangelands are globally significant, but under-recognised and undervalued. It identifies gaps in environmental and socioeconomic information about pastoralism and rangelands and recommends: i) to conduct an integrated global assessment of pastoralism and rangelands; ii) to enhance the availability and quality of existing information about these; iii) to broaden the understanding of the value of pastoralism and rangelands; iv) to conduct a detailed assessment of the provision of technical support to pastoralism; and v) to involve pastoralists in all the assessments and information gathering.

A global integrated assessment of rangelands and pastoralists would provide a knowledge baseline crucial for monitoring the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) among pastoralists.

CELEP, represented by Ann Waters-Bayer from the CELEP member organisation Agrecol Association for AgriCulture & Ecology, contributed to the analysis and co-authored the report.

The report and executive summaries in several languages can be found at: http://www.grida.no/publications/428

A story map presentation can be found at:

https://www.arcgis.com/apps/Cascade/index.html?appid=e34ff8095ea34e96a298d13e861b8b9d

Posted on 12 March 2019 in CELEP Documents, Pastoralism & Climate Change, Pastoralism, Policy & Power, Value of Pastoralism