The grass beneath our feet: Why rangelands matter

In northern Kenya, a herder scans the sky for rain that hasn't come. The grass his animals need is thinning by the day. He's not alone, from Africa's grasslands to the salt-crusted plains of Central Asia, this same story is playing out for millions of people who depend on land many people may never think about: Rangelands.What are rangelands and why should we care?Rangelands, which are found on every continent apart from Antarctica, are the grasslands, shrublands and drylands that don't get farmed in the traditional sense, but nevertheless are a key part of the world's food system.2 billion people rely on them for food, livestock and livelihoodsThey supply nearly 70 per cent of the world's livestock feedYet up to 40 per cent are already degraded or at risk of vanishing, worn down by drought, overgrazing and years of being overlooked© UNDPGoats are sold at a market in Turkana in northern Kenya.When a rangeland fails, it isn't an abstract environmental loss. It's a family's herd with nothing to eat, a market with fewer animals to sell, a community's food security unravelling in real time.Three countries, one warning signBotswanaRangelands cover much of this southern African country a...