A case of benign neglect

Enhance the availability and quality of existing information

Develop national and international information systems to enhance the availability and quality of existing information on pastoralists and rangelands, and include pastoralists’ knowledge to understand the specifics of and dynamics between pastoralism and rangelands. • Ensure that consistent efforts are made to disaggregate government data on pastoralists and rangelands and that governments, all publicly funded projects, NGOs and research institutions

provide access to verifiable, disaggregated data and information on pastoralists and rangelands, including data obtained through baseline and monitoring/evaluation studies from development projects and pastoral knowledge of indigenous species and changes in rangeland ecosystems. • Encourage the development of accurate maps of rangelands and pastoral land use that are regularly updated to better assist decision-making. • Regularly conduct assessments on the impact of government policies, laws and regulations on pastoralism and rangelands, especially those that are new or have been. • Ensure that government statistics on pastoralists and rangelands cover issues of global concern, such as conflict and human security, adaptation to climate change and large-scale land acquisition. New technologies, such as satellite imagery, will facilitate future monitoring of rangelands. • Encourage pastoralist organizations and NGOs that work with them to document data and information on pastoralists and rangelands, including population size, land area in use and LIKT, and make these available. • Encourage one or two global institutions to establish a comprehensive information repository on pastoralism and rangelands with an agreed set of global indicators, ensuring that the information included is based on the common definitions and is highly accessible, available, comparable and reliable.

Participatory mapping session with reindeer herders in Tsagaanuur, Mongolia. Riccardo Pravettoni/GRID-Arendal

Participatory mapping session with reindeer herders in Tsagaanuur, Mongolia. Lawrence Hislop/GRID-Arendal

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