On March 13th 2025, WAMIP hosted a webinar on the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP) 2026. We continue to amplify indigenous pastoralist voices in the governance of IYRP 2026 while remembering and renewing our promise to leave no one behind through strengthening, recognising, and involving the pastoralist governance institutions to enable their participation in decision-making and policy-making processes linked to their destiny at all levels.
The webinar was was attended by WAMIP representatives from several locations including Jordan, India, North America, Europe, Mongolia, Kenya, Uganda, Argentina, Morocco and Iran. The key calls to action raised during the webinar:
- Pastoralists as Right-holders, Not Just Stakeholders Pastoralists must have a direct role in co-managing IYRP 2026, with pastoralist civil society organisations actively involved in its governance at all levels. We urge nation-states, with the support of FAO, to form smaller steering committees with key pastoralist right-holders and relevant stakeholders and launch a dedicated trust fund to implement actions. The governance of IYRP must acknowledge and integrate established pastoralist organisations, ensuring fair representation in decision-making, including the management of trust funds.
- Securing Land & Resource Rights
Immediate action is needed to halt land grabs, mining, and large-scale infrastructure projects that displace pastoralists. Governments must respect Indigenous land tenure, mobility rights, and access to water. - Ensuring Connectivity & Mobility Rights
Animal trails, migration routes, seasonal pasture access, and customary governance systems (such as ICCAs) are crucial for sustainable rangeland management. - Upholding Food Sovereignty & Trade Justice
The current global trade system prioritises profit over people. Alternative trade frameworks must safeguard small-scale food producers, ensuring fair markets and protection against agribusiness expansion. - Empowering Women in Governance
Women pastoralists face exclusion from decision-making. Addressing structural barriers, securing land rights, and supporting their leadership in rangeland management are critical. - Youth Engagement & Education
Young pastoralists need policies that protect their livelihoods, provide access to education, and integrate modern technology to sustain pastoralism as a viable way of life. - A Broad Definition of Rangelands
Policies must recognise that rangelands include not just grasslands, but also forests, tundra, mountains, and post-harvest croplands. - Global Solidarity & Coordinated Action
Pastoralists must unite with small-scale farmers and fisher movements to push for systemic change in governance, climate adaptation policies, and social protections.
The webinar also highlighted the voices of pastoralist women from different corners of the world. We were joined by Mamankhuu Sodnom from Mongolia, Megha Sheth from India, Monicah Yator from Kenya, and Marite Álvarez from Argentina, who shared their experiences, challenges, and pathways to women’s empowerment in pastoralism.
The slides from the webinar can be accessed here.
WAMIP is committed to actively promoting IYRP through our networks and communications, ensuring indigenous pastoralist communities remain at the center of global discussions on rangelands. We look forward to further collaboration with FAO, governments, and allied movements to advance these goals.