TEHRAN – World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought is observed on June 17 every year focusing on a specific theme; this year’s theme ‘Rangelands: Recognize. Respect. Restore’, highlights the need for the restoration of rangelands.
Rangelands are among the world’s most extensive yet most overlooked ecosystems. Covering more than half of the Earth’s land surface, they play a vital role in food security, water cycles, biodiversity conservation and climate resilience. They support the lives of around two billion people worldwide, including many pastoralists and Indigenous Peoples whose knowledge and stewardship have sustained these landscapes for generations.
In 2026, Desertification and Drought Day put rangelands at the center of global attention. This year’s observance calls for greater recognition of the economic, ecological, and cultural value of rangelands, respect for their traditional stewards, and stronger investment in restoring degraded rangelands.
Up to half of the world’s rangelands are degraded or at risk, with serious consequences for food and water security, biodiversity, climate resilience and rural livelihoods. Yet viable pathways for action already exist. Investing in sustainable land and water management, improved drought preparedness and community-led restoration can help secure these landscapes and the people who depend on them.
Under the country’s Seventh National Development Plan (2023-2027), the Natural Resources and Watershed Management Organization has set a target of restoring 23 million hectares of rangelands.
So far, the organization has managed to restore more than seven million hectares, IRIB quoted Hassan Vahid, an official with the Natural Resources and Watershed Management Organization, as saying.
“Some 14 million hectares of the country’s land are susceptible to wind erosion. To address the problem, the country has established 1.4 million hectares of man-made forests, and implemented mulching,” he said.
Referring to transboundary sand and dust storms, the official highlighted the significance of regional diplomacy to combat eight active dust hotspots in neighboring countries like Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kuwait, and Qatar.
The official went on to say that overexploitation of nature, excessive water consumption, and the implementation of some development projects are among the main factors that exacerbate desertification.
MT/MG
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