Mobility is the key strategy of pastoralists to adapt to variable resources and manage uncertainties found in the rangelands. In doing so, they may move within national territories or across borders, following fixed or flexible routes. At the same time, this strategy allows rangelands to regenerate and provides a host of environmental benefits across a large area.

Despite the many benefits of pastoral mobility, several government initiatives tend to restrict this movement, especially across country borders. This leaves pastoralists vulnerable to growing human-induced and climate-related risks such as rapid population growth, shifting land-use, droughts and floods, and climate change effects. This, in turn, could lead to livelihood insecurity, conflict, lack of social services and food insecurity.

Jointly published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Crossing borders: Legal and policy arrangements for cross-border pastoralism, provides recommendations to enable and secure transboundary mobility for sustainable pastoralism. It provides an overview of several legal and policy mechanisms that can support safe and sustainable transboundary movements. The publication gives several cases of successful bilateral and multilateral agreements with a view to supporting future policy-making at the country and regional level. Thereby, it builds on the growing recognition of the importance of mobility and the momentum generated by such instruments as the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land (VGGT), Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security – notably the Technical Guide, Improving governance of pastoral lands – and the African Union Policy Framework for Pastoralism in Africa.

The publication begins by explaining pastoral mobility as a central feature of pastoralism and the challenges and risks associated with it. It then defines the key legal concepts relevant to transboundary mobility. Although legislating for transboundary mobility is a complex task, the publication shows that transboundary agreements could be reached in a variety of ways and address a range of concerns. The publication gives several examples from local arrangements to bilateral and regional agreements, and covers provisions such as recognizing grazing routes and seasons, providing permits, controlling diseases and resolving disputes.

Further, the publication acknowledges that pastoralist contexts are dynamic and changing, and therefore any policy recommendation must include a degree of flexibility. It recommends including actors across sectors such as agriculture, environment and water, as well as at different levels, from policy makers to local civil society actors and pastoralists themselves. A consultative and participatory process that ensures representation from different groups across pastoral communities, including women and youth, is essential to find appropriate arrangements and ensure their successful implementation.

Today, the need to secure pastoral mobility, including cross-border mobility is more pertinent than ever. Regulated transboundary mobility can allow pastoralists to access seasonal resources and markets and enhance pastoral resilience to recurring and protracted crises. Crossing boundaries aims to inspire and inform action by governments and civil society actors to develop legislation and other forms of legal instruments and cooperative agreements for transboundary pastoralism. The growing global drive towards sustainability – demonstrated by the Sustainable Development Goals adopted in 2015 – provides new opportunities to re-enable and adapt pastoral mobility in order to safeguard the role of pastoralists as custodians of the world’s vast and precious rangelands.