Key messages 2026
Mountain pastoralists are stewards of land, livestock and livelihoods
Mountain pastoralists raise livestock and produce food, fibre and other goods in high-altitude regions. Drawing on generations of Indigenous Peoples' as well as local knowledge, they use daily and seasonal mobility, including transhumance, to sustainably manage rangelands, support animal welfare and contribute to food security. In India, an estimated 13 million pastoralists from more than 46 communities rely on pastoralism for their livelihoods. Across the Hindu Kush Himalaya, rangelands cover nearly 60 percent of the region and sustain millions of pastoralists and agro-pastoralists.
Healthy mountain rangelands benefit 1.2 billion people living in mountain areas
Rangelands cover around half of the Earth’s land surface, including significant mountain areas. Mountains regulate water flows to downstream areas. Mountain rangelands preserve habitats and biodiversity, store carbon and help reduce wildfire risk. For example, 70 per cent of Colombia’s freshwater begins in its mountain rangelands. More than one third of Swiss agricultural land is alpine pasture and 85 percent of agricultural land in Kyrgyzstan is pasture.
Mountain pastoral systems can build resilience in a changing climate
Climate change, land degradation and conversion to other land uses are reducing pastoral areas and disrupting livestock corridors, limiting access to water and markets, and affecting rangeland quality and herd mobility. Croplands are expanding into higher elevation rangelands as the climate changes, and urbanization and mining are fueled by population and economic growth. Yet mountain pastoral practices, such as community-based management supported by innovation and sound policies, can restore degraded lands and strengthen climate adaptation, biodiversity conservation and disaster risk reduction.
Mountain livestock breeds are living reservoirs of genetic diversity
Mountains support about one-quarter of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity and at least five domestic mammals – sheep, goats, yaks, alpacas and llamas – originated or were diversified in mountains. South America is home to about 7.5 million alpacas, and Peru has the world’s largest alpaca herd, with about 4.5 – 4.7 million animals providing livelihoods, natural fibre and animal-source food. Natural mountain materials like alpaca fibre, wool and cashmere, produced through low-input pastoral systems, offer a renewable, low-carbon alternative that supports a circular, climate resilient fashion industry.
Women and youth are driving the future of mountain pastoral systems
Pastoralist women play a crucial role in managing rangelands and production, supporting local economies and preserving traditional knowledge, yet many lack secure land rights and access to credit and resources. Pastoralist youth bring innovation and new skills but need greater access to education, digital tools, finance and entrepreneurship opportunities to prevent migration from mountain areas. Empowering women and youth pastoralists through mobile schooling, incentives and associations can help reverse rangeland abandonment and degradation.
Secure land rights are essential for sustainable mountain rangelands
Pastoral commons are essential resources for viable pastoral systems, functioning as insurance during droughts and other hazards. Strong pastoral governance and secure land tenure – backed by legislation, institutions, inclusive policies and community-based governance that recognize pastoralists' rights to move their animals as well as recognizing the role of Indigenous Peoples’ and local knowledge – are essential for productive, resilient mountain rangelands. They guarantee that mountain pastoralists can continue to manage rangelands sustainably for present and future generations.