Africa Rangelands Are the Frontline of Climate Resilience
- Africa's rangelands cover nearly half of the continent's land surface and serve as a frontline of resilience against climate change.
- Rangelands support hundreds of millions of people across Africa while underpinning pastoral economies, tourism, and biodiversity.
- East Africa faces the potential impacts of a strengthening El Niño, which forecasts suggest could bring wetter-than-normal conditions.
Africa’s rangelands cover nearly half of the continent’s land surface and serve as a frontline of resilience against climate change. Following the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification COP17 conference in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, international focus has turned toward how Indigenous Peoples, local communities, and pastoralists manage land, water, and wildlife across vulnerable ecosystems.
Africa’s Rangelands Stand on Climate Frontline
The Mounting Pressures of Degradation
Rangelands support hundreds of millions of people across Africa while underpinning pastoral economies, tourism, and biodiversity. Yet these landscapes face mounting threats from recurring droughts and severe land degradation. The recent UNCCD COP17 discussions highlighted the urgent need to link water security, climate adaptation, and livelihoods into unified actions rather than treating them as isolated challenges.
El Niño Threats Loom Over East Africa
East Africa faces the potential impacts of a strengthening El Niño, which forecasts suggest could bring wetter-than-normal conditions. While increased rainfall can improve water availability and pasture growth, it also elevates flood risks and threatens local infrastructure. Communities across the region rely on healthy rangelands and dependable water sources to absorb these severe climate shocks.
New Partnerships Target Ground-Level Investment
Governments, local groups, and development partners used the Ulaanbaatar meetings to establish new partnerships aimed at turning environmental commitments into practical ground-level investments. Recognizing pastoralists and local populations as primary leaders in land restoration is essential for long-term sustainability across the continent’s vast drylands.
Cross-Border Models of Local Management
Across the Kenya-Tanzania border, interconnected rangelands illustrate both the fragility of these ecosystems and the effectiveness of local management. Community conservancies in northern Kenya allow landowners to voluntarily coordinate natural resource use. These locally governed institutions protect wildlife while securing sustainable livelihoods for pastoralist families.