Over 500 million hectares of rangelands (one third of the total land area) in addition to some of the desert and steppe land classified as non-agricultural in the Near East Region provide income for some 120 million agro-pastoralists and others. Much of this land is classified as desert and arid steppe with limited potential. Water resources are limited and only 20 percent of the rangeland is permanent pasture with a reasonable potential for intensive livestock production. Livestock, sheep and goats in particular, play an important role in the national economies of the Region, providing up to 30 percent of total agricultural output. Pastoralists adjust to climatic risks of drought by varying livestock numbers and/or migrating in search of feed and water. Rapid human population growth (3 percent) and increased incomes have led to rapid growth in demand for food, and livestock products in particular. However, production has failed to keep pace with demand and there has been little public investment in the rangelands. Traditional systems of communal tenure (e.g. Hemma and Agdal) has been abolished and replaced by open access. Individuals have no incentive to limit livestock numbers, and marginal areas have been settled and cultivated. The result of these changes has been more animals on less land with lower productivity, leading to rangeland degradation and desertification.

It is widely agreed that degradation of the rangelands of the Near East Region must be halted, and that their rehabilitation must continue unabated in order to preserve one of the most precious natural resources of the Region. The ability of the pastoralists to produce livestock from these marginal lands must be supported, to improve food security. Restored rangelands would be a permanently renewable natural resource for conserving the bio-resources, producing livestock, encouraging wildlife, providing medicinal plants and other sources of income, and affecting the continuity and sustainability of the food supply. Many rangeland development programmes have been undertaken throughout the Near East Region in the last forty years. Initially, they emphasised the technical aspects of rangeland development, with little involvement of pastoral communities. The limited success of these programmes in their initial phase led to the realization, particularly in the last twenty years, that a complete and sustainable rehabilitation of the rangelands must be dependent on the involvement and participation of the pastoralists themselves in the rehabilitation process. The introduction of rehabilitation technologies is important, but the involvement of the pastoralists in their adoption and use is equally essential.

FOCUS

The long-term programme of the FAO Near East Regional Office focuses on strengthening and enhancing implementation of a participatory approach to range management. The approach weds technology with human participation in a systematic, holistic, participatory and integrated manner. It also raises new issues and concerns about the efficiency and sustainability of the rehabilitation efforts, and encourages the development of appropriate techniques, methods and practices that encourage the participation of the pastoral community in every aspect of range development programmes. The programme supports improved technologies and is implemented with member countries through field projects, meetings, networking, and publication of guidelines and technical documents.

COLLABORATION