Africa Pastoralist Gathering 2026 Positions Indigenous Voices at the Center of Climate and Rangelands Policy

Nairobi Kenya 

In Summary

The Africa Pastoralist Gathering 2026, hosted by the Government of Kenya in Nairobi, has convened indigenous pastoralist leaders, policymakers, and civil society actors from across the continent to shape a unified African agenda ahead of the UN International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP 2026). The five-day forum underscores the critical role pastoralists play in biodiversity conservation, climate resilience, and food security, while calling for stronger policy recognition, inclusive financing, and protection of land and livelihood rights amid escalating climate pressures.

Kenya is hosting the Africa Pastoralist Gathering 2026 as part of early continental preparations for the United Nations’ International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP 2026), placing indigenous pastoralist voices at the heart of climate, biodiversity, and development policy discussions.

Taking place from January 25 to 29, 2026 at the Kenya School of Monetary Studies in Nairobi, the gathering has brought together nearly 100 delegates from North, West, Central, Southern, and East Africa. Participants include pastoralist leaders, civil society organizations, researchers, and government policymakers united around the goal of building a common African pastoralist agenda ahead of major global forums, including UNCCD COP17.

Organized by a coalition comprising IMPACT Kenya, the African Forum of Pastoralists (AFPAT), the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA), and the State Department for ASALs and Regional Development, the meeting recognizes pastoralism as a cornerstone of Africa’s environmental and economic sustainability. An estimated 258 million people across 43 percent of the continent depend on pastoral livelihoods, stewarding rangelands that support biodiversity, sequester carbon, and preserve over 80 percent of Africa’s livestock genetic resources.

Despite their critical contribution to food sovereignty and ecosystem health, pastoralist communities continue to face mounting challenges. Climate change, biodiversity loss, and intensifying land-use conflicts are disrupting traditional governance systems and weakening livelihoods, often without adequate policy protection or financial support.

A central focus of the Africa Pastoralist Gathering 2026 is the amplification of indigenous pastoralist voices in national, regional, and international policy spaces. The forum highlights how climate impacts are often unevenly felt, with women, youth, and persons with disabilities disproportionately affected by resource scarcity, displacement, and limited access to climate finance.

By documenting lived experiences and developing shared policy positions, the gathering seeks to ensure that pastoralist communities — who contribute least to the climate crisis — gain equitable access to climate financing, social protection systems, and land rights safeguards.

The five-day meeting will culminate in a field visit to indigenous pastoral communities in Suswa, Narok County, offering delegates an opportunity for peer learning and grounded dialogue. The visit is designed to demonstrate pastoralism not only as a cultural identity, but as a viable and sophisticated model for biodiversity conservation and climate resilience.

By the close of the forum, organizers expect to have strengthened collaboration between pastoralist organizations and government institutions, laying the groundwork for coordinated African advocacy during IYRP 2026 and beyond.