The Business Case for Investment in Rangeland Restoration

Rangelands cover an estimated 54 per cent of the global terrestrial surface, support some 500 million pastoralists and underpin the livelihoods of up to two billion people, yet between a quarter and a third of them are degraded. This discussion paper examines the economic case for investing in rangeland restoration and the conditions required to move from donor-funded pilots to national programmes and long-term public and private investment.
The paper reviews the values of rangeland ecosystem services, the drivers and types of rangeland degradation, and the costs and benefits of restoration, drawing on case studies from Tajikistan, Kenya, Tunisia, the Sahel, Jordan, Colombia, the United States and Spain. Evidence indicates benefit–cost ratios of between 4:1 and 35:1, although estimates vary widely with the type of degradation, the restoration approach and the geographic context. Benefits are routinely under-measured, with only one or two value streams captured and most ecosystem services overlooked.
The paper sets out measures to strengthen the enabling environment — land tenure and use planning, economic incentives, local capacity and governance, market infrastructure, innovative financing, safeguards and monitoring — and offers recommendations for private investors, public decision makers, policy makers, pastoralist organisations, development partners and researchers.