At global desertification conference, pastoralists call for greater recognition

Pastoralists from Tanzania, Sudan, Nepal and Mongolia are meeting at the U.N. Convention to Combat Desertification to demand stronger protections, funding, and recognition of traditional land knowledge. Roughly 500 million people worldwide herd livestock across rangelands that make up about half the planet's land, and arable land is degrading 30 to 35 times faster than historic averages.

Since 1992's Earth Summit identified desertification as a top-tier global crisis alongside climate change and biodiversity loss, it has received far less funding than the other two — billions instead of trillions. Advocates note this is changing only now that drought has begun hitting wealthier countries like Spain, France and Sweden.

This is the first year the convention has implemented an Indigenous caucus, though attendees say it has faced resistance even at this meeting. In Chad, one advocate said, the desert advances two kilometers a year regardless of how much political attention it eventually attracts.

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