\u201cWe want to give the world a message that it\u2019s not only the land that you will have to really look at,\u201d said Msami, who is the program lead for the Pastoralists Indigenous Non-Governmental Organizations Forum, or PINGOs Forum<\/a>, which is a network representing over 50 pastoralist organizations in Tanzania. \u201cBut you look at the people in that land, and maybe their lives should not be disturbed or sacrificed for the development of the world.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n That message must first overcome a global environmental movement that has not always prioritized rangelands and the peoples who steward them.\u00a0<\/p>\n In 1992, world leaders gathered at the historic United Nations Earth Summit<\/a> in Brazil, where they identified three great environmental challenges: climate change, biodiversity loss, and desertification. Global conferences were established for each, creating a forum where the world would develop plans to tackle them. In the decades since, trillions of dollars have flowed toward the first two, while desertification has largely been relegated to a problem for the developing world to address.<\/p>\n \u201cBut now the history is catching them because when you look at Spain, France, even Sweden, all those countries, they have a bigger drought ever since the last two years,\u201d said Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, who is Mbororo from Chad and the first chair of the Indigenous peoples caucus at UNCCD. \u201cSo it is becoming a developed countries issue, and now they start paying more attention, but still it does not get the same attention on the level of political will or finance.\u201d<\/p>\n Although this is the 17th meeting of the convention, Ibrahim described this year\u2019s event as \u201cunique, historic, and particular.\u201d That is because it is the first with a formal caucus specifically for Indigenous peoples, something not found at the climate and biodiversity conferences. Because of that, Ibrahim and others consider this gathering a unique opportunity for Indigenous pastoralists to advocate for their rights and advance their goals on the international stage.\u00a0<\/p>\n Read Next<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Indigenous cultural practices are a climate solution, report finds<\/a><\/p>\n The gathering also comes during the United Nations\u2019 International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists<\/a>, which Ibrahim said has had a positive impact on raising awareness of the challenges communities like his face and the contributions they are making to climate resilience. <\/p>\n Despite those signs of progress, attendees in Mongolia said that the Indigenous caucus has faced resistance. In the first week of the conference, Ibrahim led a protest to demand full participation for the caucus and for its official functions to be established.<\/p>\n As the world increasingly works to address drought, Ibrahim and others are concerned that, after decades of being overlooked, a global focus could sideline them even further. About a third of Mongolia\u2019s population practice pastoral lifestyles, for example, but often have no role in global climate discussions.<\/p>\n Some countries have responded to drought and land degradation by restricting pastoralist herd sizes and restricting movement. That comes despite scientific evidence<\/a> that pastoralism boosts biodiversity<\/a> and supports climate resilient landscapes, among other benefits.\u00a0<\/p>\n But Ibrahim said that the rate of desertification has accelerated beyond the point where traditional knowledge alone is enough. She said that in Chad the desert is advancing 2 kilometers, or 1.2 miles, each year. \u201cWe have the land degradation very, very fast, and of course we use our knowledge to try to restore the land,\u201d she said. \u201cWe try to fix it, but it is still there.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n That\u2019s why a call for greater legal protections and resources for their livelihoods is central to this year\u2019s conference. \u201cSecuring land and mobility rights is not separate from climate adaptation,\u201d said Solange Bandiaky-Badji, who is coordinator and president of the Rights and Resources Initiative<\/a>, a global coalition of over 200 organizations focused on land rights. \u201cIt is a fundamental part of building resilience.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/indigenous-knowledge.jpg\")
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