Improving Management of Collective Grazinglands for People and the Environment

Policy Context

Grasslands cover roughly 40 percent of the world’s land surface and are central to carbon storage, biodiversity conservation, and pastoralist livelihoods. In the Horn of Africa, many rangelands are managed collectively and have experienced degradation due to climate variability, population pressures, and governance challenges.

Governments and development partners are investing in climate-smart rangeland management practices to restore pasture quality and strengthen livelihoods. Additionally, verified regeneration of grasslands can provide opportunities in the market for carbon credits. Yet, measuring outcomes in pastoralist systems is difficult: populations are mobile, governance is complex, and objective indicators of pasture quality are scarce. As such, rigorous evidence on the environmental and socio-economic impacts of these programs remains limited.

This study works to address these evidence gaps in Kenya and Somaliland in partnership with Mercy Corps. Building on Mercy Corps’ ICARR (Incentivizing Collective Action for Rangeland Regeneration) program in Kenya’s Somali region, the research aims to generate actionable evidence to inform regional livestock and climate initiatives across the Horn of Africa.

Study Design

The study combines remote sensing, primary data collection, and collaborative program design. The primary objective is to develop and validate improved remote sensing measures of pasture quality tailored to grassland ecosystems.  These measures will be validated against field-based ecological data collected by Mercy Corps in Kenya.

Second, the study will work with Mercy Corps to collect additional primary data on environmental and socio-economic outcomes. The team will tie that data with the verified data from the first phase. Finally, the project will organize a stakeholder workshop with Mercy Corps, government partners, and pastoralists to discuss initial findings and co-design a future randomized evaluation of rangeland management interventions in the region.

Results and Policy Lessons

Results are forthcoming.