Supporting community-based natural resource management in pastoralist societies in East Africa to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals

Sustainable pastoralism provides a wide range of economic, social and ecological value. However, the sustainability of this global food system has been undermined by systemic low investment. The effects of inappropriate development policies, growing population pressure and escalating economic inequalities are all being exacerbated by the increasing climate variability over the past decades. In recent years, community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) has emerged as a potential solution to these challenges. Rangeland areas may be managed more effectively by enabling communities to develop more sustainable livestock practices, restore the quality of rangelands and ecosystem services, improve the quality and market value of livestock, and ultimately aim to increase food security while reducing social inequalities. Such community-based management of economically, socially and ecologically important areas of land therefore addresses at least nine Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Here, we outline the challenges facing pastoral systems, how CBNRM provides a potential solution, and the link between pastoral CBNRM and the SDGs. Our collaborative and interdisciplinary research network aims to provide context-driven evidence for pastoral CBNRM that will ultimately underpin co-designed sustainable land management strategies.