23rd May 2024 (15 Topics)
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Degrading Rangelands
Context
About half of the world’s rangelands are degraded and need policy interventions, and communities depending on them need focused support, according to a new report of the United Nations Convention on Combating Desertification (UNCCD).
What are Rangelands?
- Rangelands are natural or semi-natural areas where animals like livestock graze.
- They contain vegetation like grass, shrubs, and trees, influenced by climate factors like rainfall and temperature.
- Rangelands cover over half of the Earth's land and are important for food, water, and preventing
- Importance of Rangelands:
- They act as carbon sinks, store freshwater, and support millions of people for food and livelihoods.
- They produce 16% of global food and 70% of feed for animals, especially in Africa and South America.
- In India, rangelands span from the Thar Desert to Himalayan meadows.
- Rangelands are vital ecosystems for grazing animals, and pastoralists, who depend on these lands, contribute significantly to India's livestock and dairy industries.
- Impact of climate change:
- Nearly 50% of the world’s rangelands can be considered “degraded” and are facing a “silent demise”.
- Primary drivers of degradation: Climate change, unsustainable land and livestock management practices, biodiversity loss, and the conversion of rangelands to farmlands. Uncertainty over land rights among pastoralist communities also leads to their degradation.
Fact Box: About Pastoralists
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