Challenges, solutions and research priorities for sustainable rangelands

Abstract

Australia’s rangeland communities, industries, and environment are under increasing pressures from anthropogenic activities and global changes more broadly. We conducted a horizon scan to identify and prioritise key challenges facing Australian rangelands and their communities, and outline possible avenues to address these challenges, with a particular focus on research priorities. We surveyed participants of the Australian Rangeland Society 20th Biennial Conference, held in Canberra in September 2019, before the conference and in interactive workshops during the conference, in order to identify key challenges, potential solutions, and research priorities. The feedback was broadly grouped into six themes associated with supporting local communities, managing natural capital, climate variability and change, traditional knowledge, governance, and research and development. Each theme had several sub-themes and potential solutions to ensure positive, long-term outcomes for the rangelands. The survey responses made it clear that supporting ‘resilient and sustainable rangelands that provide cultural, societal, environmental and economic outcomes simultaneously’ is of great value to stakeholders. The synthesis of survey responses combined with expert knowledge highlighted that sustaining local communities in the long term will require that the inherent social, cultural and natural capital of rangelands are managed sustainably, particularly in light of current and projected variability in climate. Establishment of guidelines and approaches to address these challenges will benefit from: (i) an increased recognition of the value and contributions of traditional knowledge and practices; (ii) development of better governance that is guided by and benefits local stakeholders; and (iii) more funding to conduct and implement strong research and development activities, with research focused on addressing critical knowledge gaps as identified by the local stakeholders. This requires strong governance with legislation and policies that work for the rangelands. We provide a framework that indicates the key knowledge gaps and how innovations may be implemented and scaled out, up and deep to achieve the resilience of Australia’s rangelands. The same principles could be adapted to address challenges in rangelands on other continents, with similar beneficial outcomes.

Impacts of climate change on the livestock food supply chain; a review of the evidence

“…Discrimination based on gender, ethnicity, caste, and wealth impedes participation in markets, legal recognition of land and asset ownership, and other rights that play key roles in the ability of stakeholders to adapt to climate change. Civil conflict and institutional disregard of traditional knowledge, institutions and customary practices can also weaken the resilience of livestock systems ( FAO, 2018b ; IPCC, 2014b ; Nielsen et al, 2020 ). While some of the political and institutional forces may contribute to persistent trends (e.g.…”

“…benefit perception), limit opportunities for management options that could mitigate the effects of climate change and high climate variability such as timely stock adjustments. People in these systems, often both geographically and politically distant from policy makers, tend to be marginalised and receive limited investments from governments and businesses ( Godber and Wall, 2014 ; Marshall, 2015 ; Nielsen et al, 2020 ; Sayre et al, 2013 ; Thomas and Twyman, 2005 ). Grazing systems are often located on land that is poorly suited for cropping, notably due to high climate variability.…”

“…For instance, in Oceania, livestock represents 70% of agricultural added-value ( Table 3 ) and over 90% of livestock feed is from grazing ( Table 2 , Table 3 ). Most of Oceania's grazing lands (mainly in Australia) are subject to high and increasing climate variability and frequent and intense fires, droughts and floods ( Nielsen et al, 2020 ). As such, the viability of the sector will greatly depend on the success of the strategies implemented to cope with high climate variability.…”

Prospects for sustainable use of the pastoral areas of Australia’s southern rangelands: a synthesis

“…Bowman et al (2009) provided an example of the successful application of this basic approach. The short-and long-term monitoring requirements would be assisted by the development of technology-based monitoring capabilities (Nielsen et al 2020).…”

“…This broader discussion is reflected in the systemic challenges within Australian rangelands identified by Foran et al (2019), including (1) undermining of the social licence to operate by those not managing resources appropriately, (2) providing opportunities for a growing and more youthful Indigenous population, (3) managing opportunities and threats associated with improved technologies, (4) governance resulting in human and financial capital leakage, and (5) improving human capacity and capability. In a similar vein, Nielsen et al (2020) considered the key challenges facing Australia's rangelands to be related to (1) supporting local communities, (2) managing natural capital, (3) climate variability and change, (4) traditional knowledge, (5) governance, and (6) research and development. These challenges will define the environment in which sustainable land use will need to be achieved.…”