Africa: Africa's Pastoralists Need More Than COP17's $1.2 Billion Rangelands Pledge
[IPS] Dar es Salaam -- When the rains fail across Tanzania's northern Maasai Steppe, herders drive their cattle farther in search of pasture and water.
The pastoralist communities of Tanzania's Maasai Steppe face severe hardship when drought strikes, driven to seek water and pasture further afield. At the UN desertification summit in Mongolia, governments pledged $1.2 billion to restore rangelands, but many question if this aid will reach those in need before the next drought. African pastoralists rely heavily on livestock for sustenance and income, so restoring pastureland could help, yet it will not solve the issue if grazing routes vanish, drought warnings are delayed, or funds fail to reach land managers.
The Rangelands Flagship Initiative represents an important acknowledgment that rangelands are vital ecosystems supporting millions, yet a $1.2 billion fund is insufficient compared to the estimated $355 billion annual need. Private investment accounts for only about 6% of restoration funding, and investors demand bankable projects, credible data, and a fair share of risk.
Pastoralism depends on mobility, with herders moving livestock as pasture and water shift, sometimes crossing national borders. Rangelands cover 54% of Earth's land surface and support 2 billion people, including 500 million pastoralists, providing pasture, storing carbon, supporting biodiversity, and regulating water. Restoration could generate significant returns, but restoring rangelands in Africa requires treating these dynamic ecosystems differently than conventional agricultural fields, respecting pastoral mobility, increasing land availability, and ensuring communities have access to international finance to inform and implement restoration programmes effectively.
Written by urgent.news from AllAfrica's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
