Rangelands contribute greater value than is generally acknowledged. The ecosystems
provide a significant portion of the world‘s biodiversity and culturally diverse habitats and are
also of great ecological and economic importance. In spite of their significance, rangeland
resources continue to be degraded, especially in the arid and semi-arid environments of Africa
and Asia. This study seeks to contribute to the formulation of strategies for taking action against
rangeland degradation. The study examines the dynamics, causes, and methods of promoting
sustainable management of the terrestrial ecosystems with possible positive feedback on
improved livelihoods of the majority of the rural poor who depend on these resources.
Dynamics of land use/land cover changes in global livestock grazing systems over the
last six decades are identified in this work through comprehensive literature searches, remotely
sensed global satellite images, remotely sensed data, and relevant secondary statistics. The
analysis shows that native grazing systems are declining, with significant losses to other land
uses/covers. Although some conversions are related to biophysical factors such as climatic
factors, the key driving forces behind native grazing lands conversions are related to human
activities. Many of the land use/land cover changes consist mostly of the conversion of grazing
vegetation to agricultural uses, invasive bush vegetation, bare cover, and persistent decreases
in productivity of static grazing vegetation.
In Kenya, the estimated adoption rates of sustainable land management (SLM) practices
in rangelands are alarmingly low (14.2%), despite the declining productivity of the ecosystems.
This necessitates the identification of factors conditioning the adoption of SLM practices. The
econometric approach chosen in the analysis accounts for potential endogeneity of explanatory
variables. The estimation shows SLM adoption highly occurs in response to land degradation as
an intervention measure to reverse and restore degrading lands. Additional factors influencing
adoption of SLM practices include access to extension services, agro-ecological and land
characteristics, access to output markets, capacity of a household to invest in sustainable
practices, and human capital endowments.
The analysis of the influence of livestock market access on land use decisions and
productivity of rangelands fails to reject the hypothesis that market inefficiencies characterizing
livestock markets represent a major risk that rangelands face. By employing a positive
mathematical programming model and a dynamic ecological-economic rangeland model, the
study reveals that improved livestock market access will likely lead to higher livestock producer
margins and fewer conversions of rangelands to other land uses/land covers.
The assessment of basic capabilities, among other factors, on households‘ decisions to
participate in collective management of pasture using a Zero-inflated beta model confirms the
key role of the capability concept in explaining the management of natural resources. While
increased capabilities reduce cooperation levels in collective management of pastoral resources,
they liberate participants to pursue their individual interests. In addition, increased capabilities
reduce the problem of interdependency and transaction costs of monitoring and the adherence
to the rules associated with collective action. On the other hand, increased basic capabilities are
likely to weaken the social cohesion, cultural values, and customs of the communities involved.
Findings from this study suggest that key policy actions to achieve sustainable
management of rangelands include facilitating sustainable intensification of livestock production;
empowering livestock producers to participate in value-added livestock production and access to
high value product markets and market opportunities; raising awareness of, promoting, and
training on best practices for SLM in rangelands; creating policies enhancing extension services
through appropriate training of trainers and research initiatives; and creating policies promoting
collective action through capacity building and economic benefits associated with cooperation.