In the framework of the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP 2026), Vétérinaires Sans Frontières International and its members are launching the global campaign “Healthy Rangelands, Resilient Communities, Connected Future” to put rangelands and pastoralist communities at the centre of climate, biodiversity and food security debates. By highlighting the vital role of pastoralists and the rangelands on which their animals and livelihoods depend, this international year opens a crucial political window to recognise their contribution worldwide and to embed them in climate, biodiversity, agricultural and development policies.
Why rangelands matter to all of us
Rangelands – savannas, steppes, arid and mountain grazing areas – cover more than half of the world’s land surface and store enormous amounts of carbon, making them critical for global climate action and nature-based solutions. These grazing ecosystems regulate climate, support water cycles, maintain soil fertility and host a unique biodiversity that underpins local and global food systems, from pastoral milk and meat to wildlife and pollinators. Yet many rangelands are degrading, losing their ability to retain water, store CO₂ and sustain productive grasslands for people and animals, which in turn accelerates the climate crisis, increases desertification and puts additional pressure on already fragile food systems worldwide.
Pastoralists: key allies for a liveable planet
More than 200 million pastoralists depend directly on healthy rangelands and have managed them for generations in regions often unsuitable for crop farming, such as drylands and highlands. Their mobile livestock systems, based on seasonal movements, careful herd management and deep ecological knowledge, enable vegetation to regenerate, keep nutrient cycles in balance and maintain fertile soils, even under extreme climatic conditions and recurrent droughts. Far from being “archaic”, pastoralism is a highly adapted and sustainable way of using land that contributes significantly to the supply of milk, meat and other animal products to rural and urban markets, supporting livelihoods, nutrition and local economies.
Despite this crucial role for climate resilience, biodiversity and food security, pastoralist communities often face restricted mobility and land rights, growing competition over natural resources and marginalisation in political decision-making processes. If we fail to act now, land degradation, conflicts over land and water, forced displacement and poverty will continue to deepen in many rangeland regions, undermining global efforts to tackle climate change, hunger and biodiversity loss.
A global campaign for rangelands and pastoralists
The United Nations’ International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists 2026 creates a unique political window to rethink how the world values and governs rangeland ecosystems and the people who care for them. With the campaign “Healthy Rangelands, Resilient Communities, Connected Future”, VSF International and its member organisations call for:
- Long-term protection and restoration of degraded rangelands as a cornerstone of climate and biodiversity strategies.
- Stronger rights to land, water and mobility for pastoralist communities, recognising their role as stewards of rangeland ecosystems.
- Investment in community-based animal health services and One Health approaches that link the health of people, animals and ecosystems in rangeland areas.
- Meaningful participation of herders and pastoralists in national and international decision-making on land use, climate, biodiversity and food systems.
Join our global movement
Join our global movement for rangelands and pastoralists. With your signature, you support our call for living rangelands, strong pastoralist communities and a connected future for all.
