Why in news? Recently, the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) has released the Global Land Outlook Thematic Report on Rangelands and Pastoralists. As per the report, up to 50% of rangelands are degraded.

What’s in today’s article?

• UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)
• Rangelands
• Key highlights of the report: overall observation
• Key highlights of the report: India specific observation

UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)

• About
  • UNCCD is a legally binding agreement that aims to protect and restore land, and combat desertification and drought.
  • It was adopted in 1994 and became effective in 1996.
  • The UNCCD is one of the three Rio Conventions. The other two are:
    • Convention on Biological Diversity (UNCBD); and
    • United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
  • The UNCCD focuses on drylands, which are arid, semi-arid, and dry sub-humid areas that are home to some of the most vulnerable ecosystems and peoples.
• Secretariat: The UNCCD's permanent Secretariat is located in Bonn, Germany.
• Goals
  • Protecting and restoring land
  • Ensuring a safer, just, and more sustainable future
  • Mitigating the impact of land degradation
  • Providing food, water, shelter, and economic opportunity to all people

Rangelands

• About
  • Rangelands are large areas of land that are covered by grasses, shrubs, woodlands, wetlands, and deserts and are used by wild animals and domestic livestock for grazing.
  • Rangelands cover 80 million square kilometres, or over 54% of the terrestrial surface, constituting the largest land cover/use type in the world
  • Rangelands are often characterized by low and erratic precipitation, poor drainage, rough topography, and low soil fertility.
• Types
  • Types of rangelands include:
    • Tallgrass and shortgrass Prairies; Desert grasslands and shrublands; Woodlands; Savannas; Chaparrals; Steppes; Tundras; Alpine communities; Marshes and meadows etc.
• Significance
  • Rangelands are important for: Storing carbon; Providing habitats for wildlife; Supporting the world's largest rivers and wetlands; and Keeping carbon in the ground.
  • These areas support many ecosystem services, including: grazing, wildlife habitat, watershed health, and recreational opportunities.
  • These areas account for one sixth of global food production and represent nearly one third of the planet’s carbon reservoir.

Key highlights of the report: Overall observation

• Degradation of rangelands
  • Almost half of the world’s rangelands are degraded due to climate change, population growth, land-use change and growing farmlands.
• Conversion of rangelands generates little public reaction
  • When we cut down a forest, when we see a 100-year-old tree fall, it rightly evokes an emotional response in many of us.
  • The conversion of ancient rangelands, on the other hand, happens in silence and generates little public reaction.

Key highlights of the report: India specific observation

• Pastoralists contribute a lot to the economy
  • Pastoralists contribute to the economy through livestock rearing and milk production.
    • The livestock sector of the economy contributes 4 per cent of national gross domestic product and 26 per cent of agricultural gross domestic product.
    • The country also accounts for 20 per cent of the world’s livestock population.
• Pastoralists in India need better recognition of their rights and access to markets
  • Millions of pastoralists in India rear livestock and depend on grasslands, shrubs and plateaus for sustenance.
  • They need better recognition of their rights and access to markets.
  • Although their exact numbers in India are unknown, it is estimated that there are 20 million or more people in pastoralist communities.
    • These include groups like the Maldharis, Van Gujjars, and Rabaris.
• Pastoralists in India are a marginalised community
• Pastoralists are a marginalised community with little influence on policy decisions, resulting in uncertainty over access to common land and land rights.
• Protection of grasslands in India
  • Although grasslands are considered threatened ecosystems in India, they have been virtually overlooked in environmental conservation.
    • Ecosystem restoration policies in India are in favour of forestry-based interventions.
    • These includes converting natural grasslands into plantation forests or other uses.
  • Less than 5 per cent of India’s grasslands fall within protected areas, and the total grassland area declined from 18 to 12 million hectares between 2005 and 2015.
• Successes highlighted by the report
  • Some laws such as the Forest Rights Act 2006 have helped pastoralists obtain grazing rights across states in the country.
  • E.g., Van Gujjars won grazing rights and received land titles in the Rajaji National Park, following a high court judgment.
• Gradual shift in attitude
  • The report noted that there was a gradual shift towards recognition of the socio-ecological role of rangelands and pastoralism in India.
  • It cited the example of welfare schemes and assistance provided to pastoralists under the National Livestock Mission, Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund and the Rashtriya Gokul Mission on sustainable dairy production.