Background
According to the UN Environment "pastoralism and rangelands are globally significant, but under recognized and undervalued". Pastoralists and rangelands are not universally defined as a result there is inconsistency in the statistical estimates. Rangelands cover more than one third of our planet, which has been managed by pastoralist communities over the centuries to benefit them and millions of other lives through environmental services. Rangelands are comparatively less productive; however, pastoralists have been managing them in such a way that it provides livelihood and environmental and ecosystem services to vast majority of life on earth.
Pastoralists have developed unique response system to the need of rangeland sustainability and productivity through the herd mobility on a seasonal basis. Majority of the livestock keepers are Pastoralists. Livestock sector provides livelihood and food security for more than 1.3 million people around the world.
The Context
In recent decades, mobility of pastoralists has been curtailed by establishment of political, and administrative boundaries into rangelands, widespread industrialisation, eroding the control of traditional institutions and dismantling local practices. In addition to that the common property resources like land and forest has continuously been alienated from the commons or pastoralists and indigenous communities who heavily rely on these resources to lead their way of life. Pastoralists have different world view, interest and needs than other people and rangelands ecosystem functions and services differ largely with forest and other lands. But they have no recognition - their resource tenures are not recognized by the state parties, despite of their historic stewardship to bio-diversity conservation. Contrasting opinions exists with regards to who pastoralists are (pastoralist population is estimated to range from 22 million to 500 million worldwide) , where their rangelands are located (rangeland cover ranges from 18% to 80% of world's surface), how land use policies are affecting their land use patterns and way-of life, what effects climate change providing on the pastoralists livelihoods strategies and rangelands, and in what ways international communities can support and promote tenure security, and sustainable management and governance of rangelands.
The Question of Recognition, Protection and Promotion
Pastoralists have significant knowledge contribution not only in safeguarding the environment but also in developing or fashioning some breeds that are able to survive under harsh conditions. However, such indigenous pastoralists’ knowledge has not been adequately recognized safeguarded and promoted by the national and international regulations. So-called development efforts like expanding and establishing national parks, hunting reserves and community forests including other developments like establishing special economic zones (SEZ) badly constraining the mobility of the nomadic livestock keepers. In light of such developments, it is of prime importance to secure the rights of pastoralists to the land and forest on which they have been maintaining their livelihoods and enable them to benefit from their breeds and knowledge. Varieties of events including development in technology, extreme climatic events like drought, landslides, political changes, loss of ancient knowledge, shifts in economic pathways and multiple livelihood strategies have led the pastoralism to the brink of extinction in many countries and regions.
Multi-faceted Challenges faced by Pastoralists and Rangelands
Amidst of all these odds, pastoralists have been sustaining their resource base: mobility, diversity, flexibility, reciprocity and reserves by employing multiple livelihood strategies in hostile and unpredictable low-productivity environment. The nomadic system of life of pastoral communities is identical but global efforts have not yet disaggregated pastoralists from other rural communities and Rangelands from other natural habitat. This kind of error in collecting evidences have many implications for national and international policy formulation to protect and promote pastoralists and their lifestyle.
Pastoralists are increasingly lacking social and economic resources to protect, continue and promote their way of living as they have no recognition, identity and defined territory. Many governments and non-governmental agencies are portraying pastoralism as a threat to environmental sustainability. Post-colonial state policies have not been sympathetic to the activities and livelihood strategies of pastoralist communities through their environmental and conservation policies. Anti-pastoralist belief rests on the belief that pastoralist societies lack mechanisms to sustainably utilize natural resources, to check and balance the number of livestock, to systematize the continuous use of water, forest and grazing lands and they don’t seriously engage in state building process and exploit available resources as they ultimately go on continuous mobility. Because of these and many other anti-pastoralist beliefs, Pastoralist Alliances need to develop counter discourse for pastoralists' rights and recognition.
Changing patterns of climate, increasing development aggression and race for economic development has provided multiple challenges to the governance, management and use of common pool resources like rangeland or the pasture lands. The trend of applying the concept of 'Environmental Sustainability' to pastoral system is increasing around the world. As there are serious and sometimes urgent environmental issues, the tragedy of commons has now become intellectual concept rather than universal experience leading the countries come up with hostile policies related to natural resources, climate change and environment.
In many countries, contemporary pastoralism is juxtaposed to many social, political, technological and economic development and policy provisions that do not well recognize the rights of pastoralist communities meanwhile increase hardships. Pastoralists in South Asia, especially in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India and Nepal, also encounter these realities which converse to create negative impacts for their social, economic, and political life.
Pastoralists have their own way of life that does not quite connected with outer world. To bring pastoralists into the main-stream form such confinement and vulnerability of social, political, economic and geographic factor, countries need to provide accessible and effective institutional support, easy access to grazing lands, education and other institutional supports which will help ease to further enhance their contribution to economy, traditional knowledge base and environmental conservation.
Inadequate Global Efforts: Rooms for Improvement
Although the global assessments fail to disaggregate the data, empirical results found that pastoralist-dominated ecosystem were more efficient than wildlife and commercial ones. Pastoralists raise wild or semi-domesticated animals or domesticated livestock on rangelands on a mobile basis. This is increasingly recognized as one of the best sustainable production system which plays key role in safeguarding the ecosystem and biodiversity. There are concerns being forwarded that 'the tragedy of the commons will be visible when there are no commons left". Rangelands and native grasslands are critical to sustainable future for people directly depending on these land and indirectly benefiting from them.
The agendas related to the recognition of rights and tenure security of pastoralists are getting on a surface through various national and international initiatives for rangelands and pastoralism. An international year of rangelands and pastoralism (IYPR) 2020 initiative has been providing the momentum to these agendas. The government of Mongolia has put up the proposal to UN for declaring the international year. However, many of the governments are still unaware of the importance of rangelands and pastoral system.
Rationale of the Conference: "Environment Sustainability – Exploring solutions within pastoralism"
With this back drop, Conference on "Environment Sustainability – Exploring solutions within pastoralism" is organized by South Asian Pastoralists Alliance (SAPA) with support from International Land Coalition (ILC) , Global Rangeland Initiative and JASIL. The effort is to contribute in enhancing awareness and understanding of the concerned governments about the natural and traditional values of rangelands and pastoral systems of production, institutionalize and strengthen pastoralists’ rights and agency in their own areas and foster innovations towards inclusivity and sustainability; which will be critical for delivering SDGs and other global development goals in rangeland areas through providing the platform to countries and communities adopting pastoralism to exchange experiences, share best practices, and perhaps to identify common priorities and challenges to guide their collective actions beyond 2020 in their respective countries.
This conference is also designed strategically to take rangeland and pastoralists agendas to next level of wider deliberation from South Asia in solidarity with IYRP 2020. It will play instrumental role in increasing SAPA's visibility and institutionalize its agenda of change by adding on the understanding about importance of rangelands and pastoralists system of life in SAPA working countries. This gathering of activists, practitioners, and policy experts from across the world will be catalytic to strengthen recognition of pastoralists and to ensure development actions that benefit pastoralists equitably and sustainably.
In addition to that, this conference can provide the momentum necessary to motivate stakeholders for policy changes by increasing an understanding of importance of rangelands and pastoralists to global food security and environmental services, and call for attention to the need for recognition of land and resource rights of pastoralists and enlightened policy makers in SAPA working countries.
Objectives
Strengthen the South Asian Pastoralists Alliance (SAPA) to fight for rights of Pastoralists and recognition of rangelands and pastoralism through advocacy in South Asia.
Expected Outcome
- Pastoralism and Rangelands issues of South Asian Countries Identified.
- Clearer understanding of land and resource rights of pastoralist community developed.
- Strengthened regional network and enhanced collaboration among stakeholders for advocacy of pastoralist and rangelands recognition.
Participating Countries
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Argentina, Mongolia, Nairobi
Contact address
South Asia Pastoral Alliance
Secretariat
C/o, MARAG (Maldhari Rural Action Group) / B/2 Milind Park
St Xavier’s High School, Opposite Loyala Hall / Memnagar, Ahemedabad-380052
Phone: +91-79-27912492
E-mail: southasiapastoralalliance@gmail.com / Website: http://www.southasia-pastoralism.org
