Regional Dialogues on Sustainable Rangelands and Pastoralism - Latin America & Caribbean

Leonie MEIER

Recording & Resources

Thank you for joining the Regional Dialogue on Sustainable Rangelands and Pastoralism – Latin America & Caribbean. The session recording and supporting resources are now available below.

Session Recording --> Passcode: =!UF@8h7

Powerpoint slides presented during the session 

Rangelands & Pastoralism Resource Hub (UNCCD COP17 & IYRP)

We thank all speakers and participants for contributing to this regional exchange. The dialogue is part of the Global Virtual Rangelands Dialogue Series – Road to UNCCD COP17, supporting collaboration toward the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists 2026.


 

Rangelands sustain biodiversity, rural livelihoods, and climate resilience across vast landscapes. Yet they face growing pressures from land degradation, biodiversity loss, and climate change.

The UNCCD COP16 decision (Decision 29/COP.16) calls on countries to scale up policies and investments to conserve, restore, and sustainably manage rangelands in alignment with Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) targets and other global goals.

These regional sessions will bring together UNCCD national focal points, government representatives, Pastoralists, CSOs and key stakeholders from across to exchange knowledge, share experiences, and identify joint priorities for implementing the UNCCD COP16 decision on rangelands.

The dialogues will provide an opportunity to:

  • Advance integrated rangeland management and share best practices
  • Build a global Coalition on Rangelands and Pastoralists
  • Support UNCCD COP16 goals on rangeland restoration and sustainable livestock systems
  • Strengthen networks and align with climate, biodiversity, and land strategies
  • Mobilize coordinated global action for sustainable rangelands and pastoralism

Join policymakers, pastoralist leaders, government representatives, and global experts to explore how sustainable rangelands can strengthen climate resilience, biodiversity protection, and livelihoods across Latin America and the Caribbean — on the road to UNCCD COP17.

Date: 10 February 2026
Time: 16:00–17:15 UTC
Languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese
 

Programme

16:00 – 16:05 | Welcome & Housekeeping

Moderator: Sairandhri Lapalikar, Programme Officer, Forest and Grassland Team, IUCN

16:05 – 16:10 | Opening Remarks

Jan Brix, Senior Policy Officer, German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)

16:10 – 16:17 | The Value Proposition: Why Rangelands Matter

Economic, climate, biodiversity and cultural value of rangelands

Jonathan Davies, Independent Consultant, Agricultural Economics & Ecology

16:17 – 16:27 | COP16 Decision & the Rangelands Flagship Initiative

Implications for rangelands and pastoralists, national entry points toward COP17

Sasha Alexander, Policy Officer, Global Policy Advocacy & Regional Cooperation, UNCCD
Louise Baker, Managing Director, Global Mechanism, UNCCD

16:27 – 16:33 | Regional Context of Rangelands & Pastoralism

Regional challenges, opportunities and link to IYRP 2026

Carlos Enrique Michaud, Co-Chair, Global Alliance for Rangelands and Pastoralists

16:33 – 16:36 | Interactive Poll

16:36 – 16:51 | Country Case Studies & Solutions

LDN pathways for grasslands, savannahs and rangelands and best practices in pastoral governance

Alexandre Henrique Bezerra Pires, UNCCD National Focal Point, Brazil
Mario Eduardo Pérez Hernández, Director of Management for Sustainable Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mexico
Dario Mandelburger, UNCCD National Focal Point, Paraguay

16:51 – 16:56 | Regional Knowledge Exchange Platform for Latin America

Belén Valenzuela, Forests and Rangelands Program Officer, IUCN Regional Office for South America

16:56 – 17:10 | Live Q&A

17:10 – 17:15 | Closing & Next Steps

Key takeaways, regional COP17 priorities and follow-up opportunities