UN International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (2026)

The United Nations has declared 2026 as the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists to highlight the global importance of grassland ecosystems.

About International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (2026)

• Proclaimed by: The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and supported by FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) and other UN bodies.

• Objectives : 
  • To recognise rangelands and grasslands as vital yet overlooked ecosystems in climate action, biodiversity conservation, and food security.
  • To correct the forest-centric bias in global climate and conservation policies.
• Key Focus Areas
  • Integrating grasslands into climate policies, Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), and land degradation strategies.
  • Strengthening synergies among the Rio Conventions:
    • UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change)
    • CBD (Convention on Biological Diversity)
    • UNCCD (Convention to Combat Desertification)
  • Promoting indigenous knowledge systems and community-led land management.

About Rangelands and Pastoralists

• Rangelands include grasslands, savannahs, shrublands, and deserts, covering over one-third of the Earth’s land surface.
• Pastoralists are communities dependent on livestock grazing, often inhabiting climate-vulnerable regions.

Role of Rangelands in Ecological Balance

• Act as significant carbon sinks, often storing more carbon below ground than forests.
• Support water regulation, prevent soil erosion, and maintain landscape resilience.

• Sustain high biodiversity, including migratory species and endemic flora and fauna.
• Supports the forest ecosystem as seen in examples like Australia’s desert grasslands and Brazil’s Cerrado savannah. 
  • It shows that “without grasslands, forests cannot survive”, underscoring their interconnected ecological role

Check Out UPSC CSE Books

Visit PW Store

Significance of Rangelands and Pastoralists 

• Provide livelihoods and food security for hundreds of millions globally.
• Indigenous grazing, fire management, and mobility practices reduce wildfire intensity and enhance ecosystem health.
• Protecting rangelands also advances social justice, securing land rights of indigenous and traditional communities.

DOWNLOAD PDF