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OUR PROJECTS

Our projects and collaborations play a key role in the way we address challenges and strive to ensure the sustainable future of our rangelands. Recognising the importance of research in facilitating informed decision-making, we actively maintain strong connections with the research community. Engaging in collaborative projects, we unite a diverse range of stakeholders.

Global Rangelands Standard

The Global Rangelands Standard is a core component of the RSC’s voluntary sustainability system. It provides a globally applicable framework for responsible rangeland stewardship, setting out principles and requirements across diverse ecological, social and production contexts.

Developed through broad stakeholder engagement and technical review, the GRS brings together traditional and local knowledge with scientific understanding to support healthy ecosystems, resilient livelihoods, inclusive governance and responsible land management.

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The Global Rangelands Standard is developed in partnership with the UNCCD, the SFA, and with the support of rangeland stakeholders. It is supported by the Global Environment Facility-funded STELARR (Sustainable Investments for Large-Scale Rangeland Restoration) Project, which is implemented by IUCN and executed by ILRI and partners.

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Global Rangeland Health Monitoring Framework

The Global Rangeland Health Monitoring Framework is being developed to provide a consistent approach for assessing rangeland condition and tracking change over time. It responds to gaps in rangeland data and the need for more comparable monitoring across landscapes.

Combining a core set of biophysical indicators with remote sensing, field-based monitoring and Traditional Ecological Knowledge, the Framework is designed to reflect different ecological and management contexts while generating credible evidence to support adaptive management, restoration, investment and decision-making.

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The Global Rangeland Health Monitoring Framework is being developed in collaboration with the Landscape Alliance and SFA. Its development is supported through the Global Environment Facility-funded STELARR (Sustainable Investments for Large-Scale Rangeland Restoration) Project, implemented by IUCN and executed by ILRI and partners.

RESIA

RESIA (Rangelands Ecosystem Services Impact Assessment) is the RSC’s developing approach for demonstrating the ecosystem service benefits associated with responsible rangeland management. It provides a consistent and credible framework for assessing outcomes across biodiversity, carbon, water, soils, cultural values, recreation and pollination.

Drawing on scientific evidence, data-driven indicators and local and Indigenous knowledge, RESIA is designed to provide greater transparency for communities, producers, supply-chain partners and investors by providing credible evidence of the maintenance or improvement of ecosystem services over time. By linking measurable outcomes with credible claims, RESIA has the potential to support nature-positive investment, responsible sourcing and long-term improvements across rangeland landscapes.

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TEK Research

Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) reflects generations of observation and lived experience of land, livestock, weather and ecological change by pastoralist and Indigenous communities. As part of a wider global initiative on community knowledge, the Steppe research project is the first in a series of regional TEK studies the RSC is undertaking across rangeland countries. Through this initial project, the RSC is working to understand how these knowledge systems assess rangeland health, and how TEK can complement scientific and data-driven monitoring to provide a fuller picture of ecosystem conditions.

By integrating TEK into monitoring and decision-making, the RSC supports more holistic monitoring, recognises community expertise and helps ensure that sustainable management approaches reflect locally observed conditions.

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The TEK Steppe Project is supported by ISEAL (International Social Environmental Accreditation and Labelling) and conducted in collaboration with the SFA (Sustainable Fibre Alliance).

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Landscape Verification
Project

This project aims to develop a comprehensive Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) framework using a landscape-based approach.

In collaboration with local and international partners as well as local government entities, the RSC is testing this approach to monitor environmental impact at the ecosystem level. The initiative seeks to provide valuable insights into the implementation of a holistic multi-stakeholder MEL framework for global rangeland ecosystems.

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The Landscape Verification Project is supported by ISEAL (International Social Environmental Accreditation and Labelling) and conducted in collaboration with the SFA (Sustainable Fibre Alliance).

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Rangeland Research

Decent Work, Gender and Family Health

The findings from the Rangeland Research on Decent Work, Gender and Family Health provide a critical foundation for informing the development of a rangeland standard.

By understanding the nuances of family roles, social dynamics, and the specific contributions of women herders, the aim is to integrate these insights into a standard that is sustainable, inclusive and responsive to the diverse needs of pastoral communities.

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This research was conducted in collaboration with the Sustainable Fibre Alliance (SFA), Colorado State University, and the Nutag Action Research and Training Center.

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PARTNER PROJECTS

Our esteemed partners are leading the way in advancing rangeland stewardship through a variety of exceptional projects. These initiatives showcase dedicated approaches and sustainable preactices that preserve and enhace our rangelands and biodiversity, while also safeguarding livelihoods.

STELARR Project

The overall objective of the Sustainable Investments for Large-Scale Rangeland Restoration (STELARR) project is “to reverse rangeland degradation and improve productivity of rangelands globally through sustainable livestock value chains, and thereby reduce poverty and secure livelihoods, with inclusive benefits to women and youth”.

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IYRP Initiative

The International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists aims to raise awareness and advocate for the value of healthy rangelands and sustainable pastoralism, as well as advocating for the need to further build the capacity of and increase responsible investment in the pastoral livestock sector.

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B4L Strategy

The Business4Land strategy, presented by UNCCD during the World Economic Forum 2024 in Davos, seeks to mobilize the power of the private sector to advance Land Degradation Neutrality by enabling transition from our current extractive and extensive land-use models towards sustainable land management.

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BIA for Mountains & Islands Programme

The Business Incubator and Accelerator (BIA) for Mountains and Islands programme aims to increase mountain and island communities’ resilience by supporting innovative entrepreneurship in agricultural and textile value chains through the provision of grants, technical assistance and capacity development.

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Global Rangelands Standard

Objective: The Global Rangelands Standard provides a globally applicable framework for defining, supporting and recognising responsible rangeland stewardship across diverse ecological, social, cultural and governance contexts.

The Standard seeks to:

  1. Strengthen rangeland health and resilience through adaptive management that protects soil, water, vegetation, biodiversity and ecosystem function.
  2. Support resilient and equitable livelihoods by recognising rights, knowledge and cultural values, and promoting inclusive participation and fair access.
  3. Promote effective governance and responsible stewardship through clear roles, legitimate rights, collaborative planning, transparency and adaptive management.
  4. Support responsible livestock management and animal welfare, recognising the importance of livestock and working animals within rangeland systems.
  5. Provide a credible global benchmark to support responsible sourcing, benchmarking, policy alignment, monitoring, investment and, where appropriate, verification or certification.

Key Principles:

  • Effective Management – Ensures clear roles, proportionate planning and record-keeping processes, and collaborative approaches that support learning, adaptation and effective rangeland stewardship.
  • Responsible Land Governance & Tenure – Promotes legitimate and transparent land and resource rights, inclusive decision-making, equitable access and effective approaches to preventing and resolving conflict.
  • Land Management & Ecosystem Health – Promotes adaptive grazing and sustainable land-management practices that protect and restore soil, water, vegetation, biodiversity and wider ecological function.
  • Resilient Livelihoods – Supports pastoral households and communities to manage risks, adapt to change and maintain viable and resilient livelihoods.
  • Rights, Equity & Inclusion – Upholds the rights, dignity and meaningful participation of Indigenous Peoples, local communities, women, youth, children and workers.
  • Animal Welfare – Promotes the health and humane treatment of livestock and working animals through responsible nutrition, disease prevention, husbandry, veterinary care, handling and management.

The Global Rangelands Standard provides a common global benchmark while allowing flexibility in how responsible stewardship is achieved across diverse rangeland systems. It recognises and builds on existing pastoral knowledge, customary governance and management systems rather than seeking to replace them.

The Standard can support a range of applications, including improved rangeland management, benchmarking of existing standards and programmes, monitoring and reporting, responsible sourcing, investment and finance, and independent verification or certification.

For further details on collaborations and consultations, contact us at info@rangelandstewardship.org.

Global Rangeland Health Monitoring Framework

The Global Rangeland Health Monitoring Framework is being developed to provide a consistent, practical approach for assessing rangeland condition and monitoring ecological change over time.

Rangelands remain critically under-monitored, with fragmented data and inconsistent approaches limiting comparison across landscapes and understanding of management and restoration impacts. The Framework addresses this gap by providing a common approach for generating credible, comparable evidence on rangeland health.

A Combined Monitoring Approach

The Framework combines a globally consistent core of biophysical indicators with flexibility for different ecological conditions, management systems and knowledge systems. It brings together remote sensing and Earth observation, field-based monitoring, and Traditional Ecological Knowledge and local knowledge.

Combining these knowledge streams provides a more complete understanding of rangeland condition and how landscapes respond to climate, management and restoration over time. The approach also involves pastoralists, Indigenous Peoples, local communities, land managers and technical experts in shaping monitoring for different contexts.

The Framework establishes baselines, monitors long-term trends and evaluates management and restoration interventions. Standardised and traceable data collection and management help ensure evidence is accurate, reproducible and comparable across sites and over time.

Where needed, additional monitoring modules can cover wildlife and faunal diversity, soil biodiversity, livestock use and stocking rates, land-use history, carbon monitoring and fire ecology.

Supporting Better Decisions and Investment

Credible and comparable monitoring can help rangeland managers, communities, businesses, policymakers and other stakeholders understand whether interventions are working and where further action is needed.

Over time, evidence generated through the Framework could support:

  • adaptive management and restoration
  • measurement and reporting of ecological outcomes
  • sustainability and nature-related reporting
  • responsible sourcing and supply-chain claims
  • carbon and biodiversity finance
  • investment in rangeland restoration and stewardship
  • greater comparability of rangeland information across landscapes and geographies.

The Framework is not intended only for external reporting or investment. Monitoring information should also support pastoralists, land managers and communities themselves, strengthening learning, adaptive management and long-term decision-making.

Development and Next Steps

The Global Rangeland Health Monitoring Framework is being developed by the RSC in collaboration with the Landscape Alliance and SFA, with input from rangeland experts and stakeholders. Its development is supported through the Global Environment Facility-funded STELARR (Sustainable Investments for Large-Scale Rangeland Restoration) Project, implemented by IUCN and executed by ILRI and partners.

The next phase will include broader feedback on the draft Framework, practical guidance for field implementation, piloting across a wider network of sites, and further development of application layers and monitoring modules for different use cases.

Get Involved

Contact: info@rangelandstewardship.org

RESIA

What is RESIA?

The Rangeland Ecosystem Services Impact Assessment (RESIA) is being developed as the RSC’s approach for demonstrating and validating the ecosystem service outcomes associated with responsible rangeland stewardship.

It provides a structured pathway for assessing whether management is maintaining or improving ecosystem services over time, using credible evidence and clearly defined outcome indicators.

The current framework considers seven principal ecosystem services:

  • carbon sequestration and storage
  • biodiversity conservation
  • watershed services
  • soil conservation
  • recreational services
  • cultural services
  • pollination services

How does RESIA work?

RESIA is designed as an outcome-based assessment, looking at change or maintenance over time rather than relying on a one-off measurement of rangeland condition.

The proposed process involves:

  1. Declaring the ecosystem service to be assessed.
  2. Establishing its past and current condition, including relevant threats and contextual factors.
  3. Selecting appropriate outcome indicators and methodologies.
  4. Establishing baseline and current measurements and monitoring change over time.
  5. Assessing and documenting the evidence and demonstrated outcomes.
  6. Independent evaluation of the evidence.
  7. Validation and communication of substantiated ecosystem service outcomes.

RESIA is intended to recognise both the improvement of degraded ecosystem services and the maintenance of ecosystems already in good condition, where continued responsible stewardship itself represents an important outcome.

How does RESIA fit within the RSC system?

RESIA connects the different elements of the RSC system.

The Global Rangelands Standard sets out what responsible rangeland stewardship looks like.

The Global Rangeland Health Monitoring Framework provides the evidence needed to understand how rangeland condition is changing over time.

RESIA builds on that evidence to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to support a credible ecosystem service outcome claim.

Why does RESIA matter?

RESIA is intended to provide a credible bridge between responsible rangeland management, measurable ecological outcomes and transparent ecosystem service claims.

Over time, this could support:

  • responsible sourcing
  • sustainability and nature-related reporting
  • investment in rangeland restoration and stewardship
  • ecosystem service payments and performance-based incentives
  • credible communication of environmental outcomes
  • greater recognition of the contribution of pastoralists and rangeland communities

Importantly, RESIA is not intended only to generate evidence for external reporting or investment. Monitoring information should also support rangeland managers and communities themselves, contributing to learning, adaptive management and better long-term decision-making.

Development of RESIA

RESIA remains under technical development and testing.

The next phase will focus on refining indicators and methodologies for individual ecosystem services, strengthening alignment with the Global Rangeland Health Monitoring Framework, developing practical and cost-effective monitoring and validation approaches, and testing the framework against real rangeland datasets and projects.

Interested in supporting the development of RESIA?

Contact: info@rangelandstewardship.org

TEK Research

What TEK Is

Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) encompasses the observations, practices and interpretations developed by pastoralist and Indigenous communities through long-term engagement with their landscapes. These knowledge systems offer detailed insights into pasture conditions, animal wellbeing, weather patterns and the ecological shifts that shape rangeland health.

As part of a broader global initiative to integrate community knowledge into the Global Rangelands Standard, the TEK Steppe Project is the first in a series of region-specific studies that will document and analyse TEK across rangeland countries. Supported by ISEAL and the Sustainable Fibre Alliance, the project draws on literature reviews, interviews, participatory workshops and comparative field studies.

Objectives

The TEK research initiative aims to:

  • identify locally relevant indicators of pasture health, animal wellbeing and ecosystem resilience
  • understand how TEK can work alongside scientific and data-driven monitoring
  • recognise and value the expertise of pastoralists and Indigenous knowledge holders
  • contribute to the preservation of knowledge that is at risk of erosion due to social, economic and environmental pressures
  • expand learning across rangeland countries through inclusive partnerships and community participation

Get Involved

The RSC is expanding TEK research across rangeland countries and welcomes participation from pastoralist communities, Indigenous organisations, researchers, governments, NGOs and global partners. Contributions may include sharing local knowledge or taking part in field activities and country-level studies.

For more information or to discuss participation, contact: info@rangelandstewardship.org.

Landscape Verification
Project ✓

Objective: The Landscape Verification Project aims to develop a comprehensive, robust and effective Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) framework using a landscape-based approach.

By collaborating with local and international partners as well as local government entities, the RSC is testing this approach to monitor environmental impact at the ecosystem level. This initiative seeks to provide valuable insights into the implementation of a holistic multi-stakeholder MEL framework for global rangeland ecosystems. It will enable the RSC to refine methodologies and establish a framework that meets global standards while taking into account landscape and jurisdiction-level factors.

The pilot phase began in the Eastern Steppes of Mongolia, and the inception report for this phase has been submitted. The project has now entered Phase 2, expanding into other geographic regions.

For more information about the Landscape Verification Project, contact us at info@rangelandstewardship.org.

Rangeland Research

Decent Work, Gender and Family Health

Objective: The Rangeland Research on Decent Work, Gender and Family Health aims to provide a critical foundation for developing a rangeland standard that is sustainable, inclusive, and responsive to the diverse needs of pastoral communities.

Key Focus Areas:

  • Decent Work – Evaluating the quality of work conditions for herders, including fair wages, safe working environments, and reasonable working hours.
  • Gender Dynamics – Understanding the roles and contributions of women in herding communities, their participation in decision-making processes, and their access to resources and opportunities.
  • Family Health – Assessing the impact of rangeland management on family health, including access to healthcare, nutrition, and overall well-being.

Research Methodology:

  • Consultation – Engaging with local communities through consultations to gather firsthand insights and experiences.
  • Surveys and Interviews – Conducting surveys and interviews with herders to collect data on work conditions, gender roles, and family health.
  • Field Observations – Observing daily activities and interactions within herding communities to understand the practical implications of rangeland management practices.

Findings and Implications: The research findings highlight the critical role of women in herding communities, often balancing multiple responsibilities including herding, household management, and caregiving. The insights gathered underscore the need for the rangeland standard to:

  • Ensure equitable work conditions for both men and women.
  • Promote gender inclusivity in decision-making processes.
  • Enhance access to healthcare and social services for families.

For a detailed analysis and complete findings, you can access the full report by contacting us.

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