What Mongolia can teach the world about pastoralism

More than 70% of the country is rangeland, supporting nearly one-third of the country's population.

For generations, pastoralists have moved across these vast landscapes, managing ecosystems, and adapting to seasonal changes in one of the world's most challenging environments, all through mobility.

Today, Mongolia is emerging as an important example of how pastoralists can be supported in a rapidly changing world. New laws, investments and climate initiatives are helping strengthen pastoralist's livelihoods, protect their mobility and improve rangeland governance. It is through these approaches that the country is offering practical lessons for governments, institutions and pastoralist communities, and their allies around the world.

But the most important lesson is not a specific policy. It is how change is happening.

Many of Mongolia's recent advances did not happen in isolation. For more than a decade, the National Land Coalition Mongolia has helped create a space where herder organisations, government agencies, researchers and civil society can work together on shared solutions. The coalition has played an important role in ensuring pastoralists' voices are reflected in national debates on land governance, climate adaptation, and rural development. The NLC Mongolia is ensuring pastoralists are recognised not as beneficiaries of development, but as leaders in shaping the future of their lands and livelihoods.

All of this will take center stage at the upcoming Global Policy Dialogue: Rangelands Governance, Mobility, Pastoralism: a multi-stakeholder approach, taking place from 9-11 June in Ulaanbaatar, with participants from Asia, Africa, Europe and the Middle East. The dialogue forms part of Mongolia’s official 2026 programme for the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists, while bringing pastoralist priorities into global discussions ahead of COP17.

Here are four lessons we can expect.

Lesson 1: Protect mobility through rights and collective governance

Protecting pastoral mobility means recognising land rights, collective governance systems and negotiated access to landscapes, while ensuring better data and stronger recognition of pastoral realities within climate and land policies. It also means strengthening women’s rights and leadership, and creating greater opportunities for young pastoralists, whose role is essential to the continuity of pastoral systems and long-term stewardship of rangelands.

One example of the measures that can be taken to protect pastoral mobility is Mongolia, which approved the Law on Herders, strengthening pastoralists’ rights to pasture use and supporting collective governance approaches.

Lesson 2: Invest directly in pastoral communities and rangelands

Resilient rangelands require investment that reaches pastoralists directly. Public and private financing must better support community institutions and pastoralist-led organisations. Secure tenure is also essential, creating stronger foundations for long-term investment, responsible governance, and climate resilience.

For example, other pieces of legislation in Mongolia seek to strengthen access to financing. One case is the initiatives designed to reinforce organisation among herder households. Through the New Cooperative - Wealthy Herder Programme, the country is also supporting cooperative models that improve access to financing for pastoral communities.

Lesson 3: Put pastoralists at the center of decision-making

Pastoralists are rights-holders. Decision-making spaces must strengthen their leadership and ensure meaningful participation of women and youth, while investing in stronger alliances that can help shape more inclusive and effective rangeland governance. Resilient rangelands require pastoralists not only to be consulted, but to shape the decisions that affect their lands, livelihoods and futures.

Through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), the ILC, the Government of Mongolia, and the National Land Coalition Mongolia are collaborating to develop pastoralist-specific indicators and integrate them into land monitoring and governance systems. This recognises pastoralists as active contributors to land data, policy and decision-making.

Lesson 4: Build climate resilience around pastoralist's realities

Mongolia has introduced measures to strengthen resilience to increasingly severe droughts and winters, including support sustainable grazing practices, cooperative approaches and climate-smart livestock management.  Reforms to veterinary and livestock health services are also helping pastoralists protect their herds and livelihoods.

A lesson for the world

As global discussions on climate, restoration and land governance move towards COP17,  Mongolia offers practical examples of how pastoral priorities can translate into policy action. Through the leadership of pastoralist communities, the work of the National Land Coalition Mongolia and the commitment of public institutions the country is showing that pastoralists and their knowledge are not obstacles to development but essential for a resilient and sustainable future.

Looking ahead to COP17

The Global Policy Dialogue comes at a critical moment. As global discussions on climate, restoration and land governance move toward COP17, pastoral mobility cannot remain at the margins.

Recognising rights, investing in pastoral communities and rangelands, and strengthening pastoralist leadership are not separate agendas. Together, they form the foundation for more resilient communities, stronger livelihoods and climate solutions that work both for people and the landscapes they depend on.

This dialogue in Mongolia is part of building that.