SNV at GLF Africa 2026: Stewerding our rangelands
Rangelands cover 54% of the Earth's land area and sustain the livelihoods of 1.2 billion people around the globe. These lands are stewarded by pastoralists and grazed by livestock and wildlife. However, they are increasingly vulnerable, with half of the world's rangelands being under threat from the climate crisis, conflict, and underinvestment.
Pastoralists and rangeland communities are deeply connected to food systems, biodiversity, and climate resilience. They manage scarcity, adapt to change, and sustain social cohesion in some of the world’s most fragile environments. With the UN declaring 2026 the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists, Global Landscapes Forum (GLF) Africa will shine a spotlight on these critical landscapes and communities on 6–7 May in Nairobi, Kenya.
Session: Wednesday, 6 May
Miombo Thrive: Laying the foundations for a movement that bottom-up restores grasslands, forests and livelihoods across the Miombo region
Wednesay, 6 May | 12:00 - 13:00 | Watering Point Pavilion
The Miombo woodlands form the world’s largest tropical dryland ecosystem, supporting over 65 million people across Southern Africa. Yet these landscapes are rapidly degrading due to deforestation, unsustainable land use and weak economic incentives for restoration. Communities depend on extraction, charcoal, timber and land conversion for income, while policies and programs remain fragmented and top-down.
Real change requires connecting conservation, livelihoods and finance into one system. During this interactive session, we will explore the foundations of a movement that provides a regional framework to co-design and finance locally-led landscape programs that regenerate ecosystems and grow rural economies.
Miombo Thrive makes it easier for partners, authorities and financiers to design and fund locally led landscape programs with communities that restore ecosystems and grow rural economies.
It provides a shared framework for collaboration, learning and investment that enables national authorities to scale impact across the Miombo region. Built around five key components, the framework promotes continuous learning and innovation to improve its effectiveness and coordination over time. Together, these efforts form a mosaic of locally driven landscape investment cases, each rooted in its own context yet connected through shared principles, knowledge and investment pathways.
Five components
1. Coalition – Global, regional and national partners unite as a critical mass to drive coordinated restoration.
2. Design Approach – Life-Centred Design guides the co-creation of multi-sector, community-driven programs.
3. Data Cycle – Local and regional data systems enable continuous learning, AI-powered analysis and transparent impact reporting.
4. Investment Facility – Blended finance turns landscape programs into investable opportunities.
5. Digital Platform – The Innovators Team platform connects partners, data and investment to power collaboration and transparency.
Our latest publications
Pastoralist and rangeland communities face mounting pressure from climate change, land degradation, and resource conflict. Discover how SNV is working alongside these communities to build lasting resilience.