Pastoralist Women Advance Global Climate Resilience Agenda

Kathmandu: Pastoralist women from every inhabited continent have united to forge a renewed global agenda and action plan to strengthen rights, climate resilience, and sustainable rangeland stewardship, marking a major milestone in the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists 2026 (IYRP 2026).

The Global Gathering of Pastoralist Women produced three major outcomes including the creation of a global network of pastoralist women, a draft “Kathmandu Declaration” (Mera +16) as a shared agenda and call to action, and a coordinated strategy to engage global policy spaces.

Rangelands cover nearly half of the Earth’s land surface, and pastoralism remains the world’s most widespread land use. Women and girls make up about half of the global pastoralist population and play central roles in livestock care, land stewardship, food security, and the transmission of traditional knowledge.

Yet they continue to face insecure land and mobility rights, limited political representation, and disproportionate impacts from climate change.The draft Kathmandu Declaration sets out shared priorities on land and resource rights, political participation, access to services, recognition of traditional knowledge, and climate justice.

It provides a unified framework to influence global processes including UNCCD COP17, UNFCCC COP31, and CBD COP17.“Pastoralist women are essential stewards of rangelands and biodiversity,” said Yi Shaoliang, Senior Intervention Manager for Rangelands at ICIMOD.

“Their leadership is critical for resilient landscapes and climate adaptation, especially in fragile mountain and dryland ecosystems.”“This is a historic moment for pastoralist women,” said Srijana Joshi Rijal, Ecosystem Specialist at ICIMOD. “Through this coming together, women across regions have united to safeguard our shared future for this generation and the next, and to take their message to global platforms.”

“This is a defining moment,” added Nitya Ghotge, Co-Chair of the IYRP Working Group on Pastoralism and Gender. “Women pastoralists from around the world have come together to shape a future for their children and their communities.”The new global network will sustain knowledge exchange, mutual support, and coordinated advocacy across regions, linking grassroots action to international policy.

Participants will carry these outcomes forward to strengthen pastoralist communities and ensure their voices shape decisions affecting their lands and livelihoods.“I feel honoured to be a part of this gathering and excited to know there will be a global network of pastoralist women,” said Siqinqimuge from Inner Mongolia, People’s Republic of China.

As global attention turns to food systems, biodiversity, and climate resilience, the message from the Gathering is clear: recognizing pastoralist women as leaders and rights holders is essential to building resilient economies and landscapes.“The outcomes of this process show that inclusive development and environmental sustainability are inseparable,” said Sarala Khaling, Head of Resilient Economies and Landscapes at ICIMOD. “When pastoralist women lead, resilient economies and landscapes follow.”