Participants at a conference on drylands have urged the federal government to take a decisive action to restore and protect the health of rangelands, highlighting its importance in safeguarding the livelihoods of pastoralist communities and enhancing the climate resilience in dryland regions.
This was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of a three-day International Conference on Drylands organised by the Centre for Dryland Agriculture (CDA), Bayero University Kano, with the theme, “Promoting Sustainability and Resilience of Rangelands: Present and Future Outlooks.”
The communiqué stressed the need for the governments to develop and implement comprehensive, participatory and evidence-based legal frameworks that prioritise sustainable rangeland management while ensuring equitable access to land and natural resources which will promote peaceful coexistence and prevent conflict over land use.
Participants also sought for the recognition and increased investment on women and youths from pastoralist communities to drive resilience and sustainability, through capacity building and their active participation in decision-making processes.
The conference also highlighted on the need for both public and private sector to scale up investments in climate change adaptation strategies, sustainable land management technologies and diversified livelihood initiatives complemented by demand-driven research that could reduce the vulnerability of dryland populations.
