SNV at GLF Africa 2026: Stewerding our rangelands
Rangelands cover 54% of the Earth's land area and sustain the livelihoods of 1.2 billion people around the globe. These lands are stewarded by pastoralists and grazed by livestock and wildlife. However, they are increasingly vulnerable, with half of the world's rangelands being under threat from the climate crisis, conflict, and underinvestment.
Pastoralists and rangeland communities are deeply connected to food systems, biodiversity, and climate resilience. They manage scarcity, adapt to change, and sustain social cohesion in some of the world’s most fragile environments. With the UN declaring 2026 the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists, Global Landscapes Forum (GLF) Africa will shine a spotlight on these critical landscapes and communities on 6–7 May in Nairobi, Kenya.
Session: Wednesday, 6 May
Miombo Thrive: Laying the foundations for a movement that bottom-up restores grasslands, forests and livelihoods across the Miombo region
Wednesay, 6 May | 12:00 - 13:00 | Watering Point Pavilion
The Miombo woodlands form the world’s largest tropical dryland ecosystem, supporting over 65 million people across Southern Africa. Yet these landscapes are rapidly degrading due to deforestation, unsustainable land use and weak economic incentives for restoration. Communities depend on extraction, charcoal, timber and land conversion for income, while policies and programs remain fragmented and top-down.
Real change requires connecting conservation, livelihoods and finance into one system. During this interactive session, we will explore the foundations of a movement that provides a regional framework to co-design and finance locally-led landscape programs that regenerate ecosystems and grow rural economies.
Miombo Thrive makes it easier for partners, authorities and financiers to design and fund locally led landscape programs with communities that restore ecosystems and grow rural economies.
It provides a shared framework for collaboration, learning and investment that enables national authorities to scale impact across the Miombo region. Built around five key components, the framework promotes continuous learning and innovation to improve its effectiveness and coordination over time. Together, these efforts form a mosaic of locally driven landscape investment cases, each rooted in its own context yet connected through shared principles, knowledge and investment pathways.
Five components
1. Coalition – Global, regional and national partners unite as a critical mass to drive coordinated restoration.
2. Design Approach – Life-Centred Design guides the co-creation of multi-sector, community-driven programs.
3. Data Cycle – Local and regional data systems enable continuous learning, AI-powered analysis and transparent impact reporting.
4. Investment Facility – Blended finance turns landscape programs into investable opportunities.
5. Digital Platform – The Innovators Team platform connects partners, data and investment to power collaboration and transparency.
Our latest publications
Pastoralist and rangeland communities face mounting pressure from climate change, land degradation, and resource conflict. Discover how SNV is working alongside these communities to build lasting resilience.
Integrated landscape management in Kenya's ASALs:
Pastoralist and agro-pastoralist communities in Kenya’s arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs) continue to face increasing vulnerability driven by climate variability, land degradation, and fragmented resource governance systems. This publication examines the application of Integrated Landscape Management (ILM) as a holistic framework for promoting ecological sustainability and economic resilience in these fragile environments. Drawing on lessons from the Integrated and Climate Smart Innovations for Agro-Pastoralist Economies and Landscapes (ICSIAPL) project implemented in Kajiado, Narok, and Taita Taveta counties, the publication shows how ILM facilitated coordinated planning, strengthened multi-stakeholder collaboration, and improved natural resource governance. Key interventions included participatory landscape planning, sustainable rangeland management practices such as rotational grazing and reseeding, and capacity building for local institutions, all of which contributed to improved ecosystem services and adaptive capacities.
Watch how the ICSIAPL project worked with ranches and communities to promote sustainable rangeland management and adoption of innovative approaches like the use of zero-visibility bomas for land regeneration.
Building food system resilience in Kenya’s rangelands
Kenya’s ASALs, which constitute approximately 80% of the country’s landmass, are increasingly vulnerable to climate variability, land degradation, and resource-based conflicts, undermining food security and livelihoods. This publication examines the application of the Water–Energy–Food (WEF) Nexus approach as an integrated framework for addressing these interconnected challenges. Drawing on lessons and experiences from the LISTEN project implemented in Laikipia, Isiolo, and Samburu counties, it demonstrates how coordinated, multi-stakeholder interventions can sustain rangeland restoration, improve water resource management, and strengthen food systems. By positioning water as a critical entry point, the approach enabled synergies across sectors, fostering ecosystem recovery, increased agricultural productivity, and improved livelihood outcomes among pastoralist and agropastoral communities.
Watch how the LISTEN Project supported the rehabilitation of degraded rangelands in Laikipia, Isiolo and Samburu counties in Kenya through reseeding and the establishment of seasonal grazing areas. Communities were trained on sustainable grazing techniques and regenerative land management practices. Controlled grazing through carefully designed grazing plans has resulted in improved pasture regeneration, benefiting local pastoralists.