Knowledge, Communities & Resilient #Rangelands 🌍

At #COP17UNCCD, the message was clear: rangeland #restoration starts with people.
During People Day, DNI brought together international experts, Indigenous scholars and #pastoral practitioners for the session “Co-Creating Knowledge for Resilient Rangelands: Capacity Sharing with Pastoral and Indigenous Communities to Combat #Desertification”.
The discussion highlighted how scientific, Indigenous and pastoral knowledge can work together to address desertification and build resilient rangeland systems.

Key lessons included:
🌱 Community-led restoration and rotational grazing
🐑 Protecting pastoral mobility and sustainable livelihoods
🤝 Strong local institutions and inclusive decision-making
👩‍🌾 Women’s empowerment and youth engagement
🕊️ Land rights, peacebuilding and equitable governance
🙌 Participatory approaches that bring different knowledge systems together

From Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia to sub-Saharan Africa, experiences shared during the session showed that pastoralists and Indigenous communities are not simply beneficiaries of restoration. They are key actors and knowledge holders in restoring and safeguarding ecosystems.
Achieving Land Degradation Neutrality, climate resilience, biodiversity conservation and sustainable livelihoods requires partnerships built on participation, recognition and trust.

Full report here!

A policy brief capturing the outcomes of the session is now being prepared. #staytuned

A strong reminder from #COP17UNCCD: co-creating knowledge means co-creating solutions.