Building a Shared Vision for Sustainable Rangelands and Pastoral Communities in the Near East and North Africa
IYRP 2026 – NENA Regional Conference
Hammamet (Tunisia), 26/01/2026 - 28/01/2026
©FAO
The International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP) 2026 NENA Regional Conference will bring together regional partners, government representatives, technical experts, researchers, and pastoralist organizations to strengthen collaboration and advance sustainable rangeland management across the Near East and North Africa (NENA).
The event is co-organized by the NENA IYRP Consortium, namely, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO); the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA); the International Land Coalition (ILC); the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Regional Office for West Asia (ROWA) and for Mediterranean Cooperation (Med); the Sahara and Sahel Observatory (OSS); the League of Arab States (LAS); the Centre for Environment and Development for the Arab Region and Europe (CEDARE); and the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development (AOAD). The conference will kick off the IYRP in the NENA region and mark the launch of the NENA IYRP Consortium and its Joint Action Agenda for 2026.
Over three days, participants will examine rangeland governance, climate and biodiversity challenges, pastoralist rights, and opportunities for innovation and research. The conference will include high-level dialogues, technical sessions, peer learning, and a field visit to local rangeland sites in Tunisia.
The meeting aims to strengthen regional cooperation in the implementation of the IYRP 2026 and conclude with the IYRP-2026 NENA Communique, outlining shared regional priorities for resilient rangeland systems and thriving pastoral communities.
Languages: Simultaneous interpretation in Arabic, English, and French.
Agenda
Day 1 – | Opening of the Conference |
NENA rangeland | Session 1: NENA rangelands and governance - NENA rangelands: challenges, opportunities, and importance of the IYRP -Policy Perspectives; Future of rangeland governance and pastoral livelihoods in the NENA Region: enhancing policy frameworks and addressing bottlenecks |
| Session 2: Rangeland management and the 3 RIOs; pioneering actions from the NENA Parallel sessions: 1. Climate challenges to rangelands and pastoral communities. -Key-note address and regional case studies. 2. Mainstreaming biodiversity in rangeland management. -Key-note address and regional case studies. 3. Enhanced rangeland management and its role in addressing land degradation neutrality. -Key-note address and regional case studies. |
| Session 3: Plenary session and key takeaways |
Day 2 – Rights, inclusion and innovation | Session 4 - Empowering pastoral voices for sustainable rangelands -Monitoring and indicators for pastoral rights -Parallel sessions: Parallel session one: 1. NENA women pastoralists 2. Youth, future rangeland stewards Parallel session two: 1. Recognizing and strengthening pastoral rights 2. Pastoral livelihoods: challenges and opportunities |
| Session 5: Research and innovation -Research needs and gaps in the NENA region. -Research priorities for the NENA region; facilitated discussion. -Ongoing research and innovation in the management of rangeland and the empowerment of pastoral communities in the NENA region: examples from the region. |
| Session 6: Closing -Communication efforts during the IYRP-2026 -IYRP-2026 NENA Communique |
Day 3 | Field visit |