Rangelands, which occupy more than half of the Earth’s land surface (UNGA, 2022), are vital but often overlooked ecosystems that support biodiversity, store significant amounts of carbon, and sustain critical services such as soil health and water regulation. Pastoralists are the primary users and custodians of these rangelands. They rear a diversity of livestock, including cattle, goats, sheep, camels, yaks, horses, and donkeys. Pastoral land-use and management practices are deeply embedded in local informal institutions, which are shaped by knowledge transmitted across multiple generations. Sustainable management through daily to seasonal mobility helps maintain rangeland biodiversity, enhance soil and vegetation health, and strengthen landscape resilience to climate change. Recognising and supporting pastoralist systems is therefore essential for conserving rangelands, securing livelihoods, and addressing global challenges such as biodiversity loss and climate change.

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India is home to a diverse range of pastoralist communities that make optimal use of a wide variety of ecosystems, from the alpine meadows of the Himalayan region to the dry deciduous forests and open scrublands of the Deccan Plateau in the south and the Thar Desert in the west. The Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying recently launched India’s first national pastoralist census to formally recognise pastoralists, who are currently identified across 46 distinct communities. As an important step toward acknowledging pastoralists’ contributions, the UN General Assembly, at its 76th session, officially designated 2026 as the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP), with India as one of the signatories. Initiatives such as these reflect growing recognition, both nationally and internationally, of pastoralists’ contributions to biodiversity, food security, and climate resilience.

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Contemporary pastoralism in India faces a range of challenges related to mobility and access to land, which are deeply entangled within the socio-political sphere. The lack of recognition of pastoralism’s economic contribution also remains a major barrier. Changing aspirations among younger generations, combined with the hardships of pastoral life, have resulted in a shortage of labour, which is emerging as a significant challenge.​ Against this backdrop, the primary objective of our research is to explore the entanglement of three contemporary challenges to pastoralism: changing labour dynamics and associated patterns of knowledge transmission; the ecological implications for rangeland health; and livestock well-being and wildlife conservation. We examine these questions in three ecologically and culturally significant regions: northern Telangana, western Sikkim, and the Lahaul–Spiti Valley in Himachal Pradesh. By disseminating findings through diverse formats, the project will generate vital evidence to inform national-level policy, advocate for pastoralists’ needs and contributions in India, and support long-term rangeland conservation for future generations.

Meet The Team