# Mongolia Convenes Global Summit on Rangelands as Half of Earth's Land Surface Faces Degradation
Policy makers, scientists, and negotiators gathered in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, to address a mounting environmental crisis. Rangelands, which cover approximately half of Earth's terrestrial surface, face accelerating degradation from overgrazing, climate shifts, and unsustainable land management practices. The assembly signals growing recognition that soil restoration and rangeland recovery represent both an environmental imperative and a climate mitigation opportunity.
Rangelands encompass grasslands, savannas, shrublands, and open woodlands. These ecosystems support pastoral economies across Central Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and the Americas. They also store substantial carbon reserves and regulate water cycles that buffer against drought. Their decline threatens food security for over 2 billion people worldwide who depend directly on rangeland productivity, according to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).
The gathering in Ulaanbaatar coincides with accelerating soil loss globally. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that 33 percent of global soils are already degraded. In drylands, where rangelands concentrate, erosion rates exceed soil formation by margins as wide as 100 to 1. Climate change intensifies this imbalance. Rising temperatures extend drought duration, while erratic precipitation patterns trigger both flooding and prolonged dry spells that destabilize vegetation cover.
Mongolia itself exemplifies the crisis. The nation's rangelands cover 70 percent of its territory, yet dzud events—severe winter-spring droughts—have decimated livestock herds at increasing frequency. The 2009-2010 dzud killed 10 million animals across Central Asia. A 2020 study published in Science Advances linked these extreme events to warming trends in the Arctic that disrupt jet stream patterns, concentrating cold and dry conditions over the region.
Soil restoration and rangeland management offer measurable carbon sequestration benefits. Healthy grassland soils store approximately 4.2 gigatons of carbon annually, according to the International Soil Reference and Information Centre. Improving grazing practices, reducing soil compaction, and replanting degraded areas can enhance carbon storage capacity while increasing water retention and erosion resistance. These co-benefits extend to biodiversity. Restored rangelands support migratory birds, grassland specialists, and prey species for predators across food webs.
The negotiations in Ulaanbaatar address implementation pathways for soil recovery. Discussion topics include pastoral tenure rights, which secure land access for herding communities and incentivize long-term stewardship. Technical solutions including rotational grazing systems, alternative forage cultivation, and erosion control structures also feature prominently. Financing mechanisms matter equally. Delegates explored how carbon markets, climate finance, and development grants can fund rangeland restoration at scale.
Private and public actors face pressure to move beyond rhetoric. The Asian Development Bank and World Bank have committed funding for rangeland projects across Central Asia. The UNCCD, which convened this summit, operates the Global Land Outlook initiative to track restoration progress. Yet implementation gaps remain. Most rangeland nations lack dedicated funding for soil monitoring and adaptive management systems.
Success depends on coordination across borders. Wind-blown soil crosses political boundaries. Livestock migrations span international frontiers. Coordinated grazing protocols between Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Russia, and China could maximize ecological outcomes. Similarly, knowledge sharing about drought-resistant forage varieties and water-harvesting techniques benefits the entire region.
The Ulaanbaatar gathering underscores an uncomfortable truth. Rangelands rank lower in conservation funding than forests or wetlands, despite covering twice the area. Shifting this allocation framework requires demonstrating that rangeland restoration delivers tangible returns. Carbon credits, drought resilience, and food security gains provide that case. Whether policy commitments translate into funding and enforcement remains the open question.