Presented by Fiona Flintan, ILRI, via remotely Skype, 26 November 2019

1. Climate-Smart Investments in Rangelands:
Climate-Smart Agriculture Training for Asia
Development Bank, Bangkok
Presented Remotely via Skype on 26th November 2019
Fiona Flintan, ILRI

2. Rangelands cover a significant proportion
of the world’s surface including in Asia
University of Idaho/SRM

3. Potential of rangelands
• Millions directly gain their livelihoods from
extensive livestock production but with the right
support and investment more can do so;
• 2 billion people derive additional indirect
benefits including animal protein, water, fibre,
pharmaceuticals;
• Significant potential for raising productivity of
rangelands and rangelands restoration where
needed
• Carbon sequestration
• Raising productivity of livestock

4. Characteristics of rangelands and land use
systems found there
Temporal and spatial variability of natural resources
and environmental conditions - ’high’ and ‘low’
productivity hotspots – high diversity driven by
variable and low rainfall, temperature fluctuations etc.
Photo credit: Barbara Wieland/ILRI

5. Characteristics of rangelands and land use
systems found there
Unpredictable climate with frequent stresses and
shocks
https://site.extension.uga.edu/climate/2018/08/droug
ht-impacting-cattle-producers-around-the-globe/
https://www.nationalgeographic.com.au/tv/
australias-great-flood/
https://eurasianet.org/mongolia-government-struggles-to-
cope-with-winter-disaster

6. Characteristics of rangelands and land use
systems found in rangelands
Nested land governance/tenure, and management -
layers of rights and responsibilities

7. Characteristics of rangelands and land use
systems found in rangelands
Often remote and not easily-accessible with a
sparsely distributed human population

8. Characteristics of rangelands and land use
systems found in rangelands
Social landscape is very strong – and the connectivity
and reciprocity held between people is an asset to
build on
Photo: Kelley Lynch/CARE

9. Development and investment in
rangelands
Development and investment in rangelands demand a
different approach:
• Landscape-level planning
• Facilitate (not block) mobility of livestock/people
• Both processes and outputs such as infrastructure
need to be able to cope and manage stresses and
shocks – climate smart, risk management
• High quality, low maintenance infrastructure
• Communities at forefront of development (reverse
dependency syndrome)
• Integrated approaches e.g. “one health”

10. Participatory rangeland management in
Ethiopia and Mongolia
For more information see: Flintan and Cullis (2010) https://hdl.handle.net/10568/99430

11. Strong foundation for rangeland
investments – improving productivity
Clearance of invasive species
https://www.revolvy.com/page/The-Prosospis-Juliflora-blessing?stype=videos&cmd=list&sml=2zFoNdHjDVI

12. Strong foundation for rangeland
investments – harnessing variable water
Water-spreading weirs. (Photo credit: Fiona Flintan/ILRI)

13. Strong foundation for rangeland investments –
facilitating mobility not blocking

14. Conclusions
• Rangelands have been marginalized from
mainstream development and investment
• With appropriate development and investment
focused on improving livestock and land/resource
production they have significant potential
• Local people including pastoralists need to be at
the centre of development processes – challenging
but opportunities to build on
• Landscape approach for planning and management
• Climate smart investments that can cope/manage
stresses and shocks.

15. This presentation is licensed for use under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence.
better lives through livestock
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ILRI thanks all donors and organizations who globally supported its work through their contributions
to the CGIAR system