Stakeholder Roundtable on Rangelands, Sustainable Livestock and Drought Resilience in Kenya High-Level Outcome Brief

Abstract

This brief records the outcomes of a stakeholder roundtable co-hosted by GIZ and Kenya’s State Department for Livestock Development on 12 June 2026, convened ahead of the 2026 World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought and as part of the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists. The dialogue brought together policymakers, practitioners, and development partners to discuss pathways to scale solutions for sustainable rangelands and drought resilience, and to support efforts to elevate rangelands and pastoralism within the UNCCD agenda, including the Rangeland Restoration Flagship and the build-up to COP 17 in Mongolia.

Deliberations produced four calls to action: strengthening rangeland governance, restoration and land security; building climate-resilient livestock production and mobility systems; expanding risk management, finance and resilience mechanisms; and unlocking inclusive market and value chain opportunities. Each is accompanied by specific priority actions, from accelerating community land registration and protecting livestock mobility corridors to scaling livestock insurance and investing in value addition, processing and market infrastructure.

The brief captures contributions from the National Land Commission, NEMA, IGAD ICPALD, ILRI, AU-IBAR, the German Embassy in Kenya, the Gates Foundation, Equity Group, the Kenya Camel Association, Farmers Choice, TMG Research and GIZ Kenya. It sets out key messages on Kenya’s arid and semi-arid lands, pastoral systems across Africa, feed shortages as the principal productivity constraint, One Health and disease control, climate finance, and the growing global recognition of rangelands since UNCCD COP 16.