Pastoralists, who tend herds of livestock and rely on rangelands, are calling for greater recognition at a global desertification conference. Andrew Msami of Tanzania’s Maasai community explained that changing climate conditions are forcing them to sell culturally and financially valuable cattle for goats, which are more drought-resilient but less valuable.
Msami stated that desertification is attacking their identity, and adapting to recent conditions poses an existential threat. Pastoralists, numbering around 500 million worldwide, are particularly vulnerable to climate change due to their arid environment. Drought and land degradation threaten rangelands, which comprise half of the planet’s landmass and support these communities from Tanzania to Mongolia.
Source: Mongabay