46
ecological improvement; to build on local initiatives and solutions by adopting real
participation and to manage social and ecological properties in a system context,
while fostering variability and diversity.
Potential of SDGs to Achieve Sustainable Pastoralism
The most quoted definition of “sustainable development” first appeared in the
Brundtland Report (Brundtland Commission 1987). But it was not until 1992 when
the global community took practical steps towards its achievement. During the UN
Conference on Environment and Development (the Rio Summit) governments committed to negotiating global environmental goals on climate change, biodiversity
conservation, and combatting desertification. It took another 28 years for the sustainable development goals to be adopted by 198 countries in 2015 as the operational part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (UN 2015). It covers
17 major goals, 169 targets, and 232 indicators. The process of adoption of these
goals was an excellent example of how multi-sectoral dialogue can be promoted.
The package also shows how the complexity of issues today cannot be distilled into
three or four primary goals (as some politicians and pundits had wished for).
Although most of the 17 goals and 169 targets are focusing on one sector, many are
cross-cutting (e.g., inequality, capacity building), and the challenge is to target
synergies among several SDGs (Mainali et al. 2018).
SDG Strategy, Goals, and Targets
The preambular clause of the 2030 Agenda (paragraph 16) calls for integrated solutions, and commits nations to a new approach to sustainable development, recognizing that eradicating poverty and inequality, preserving the planet, and creating
sustained and inclusive economic growth are linked and interdependent. But the
negotiations that led to the creation of the SDGs also highlighted some of the challenges, namely the difficulties in reconciling regional priorities and national sovereignty with a global consensus; the political sensitivity or skepticism of certain
concepts and issues such as inequality, climate change, ecosystem services, or governance; and the aggregation and generalization of issues through diplomatic language. The word “pastoralist” is only mentioned once in the SDGs, in connection
with promoting sustainable agriculture (Goal 2, Target 2.3). It took considerable
lobbying by many countries with large populations of pastoralists, and by civil society, to succeed in gaining this recognition. The 2030 Agenda preambular clause
(paragraphs 18, 22, 23) especially singles out indigenous peoples, and for some
countries that includes pastoralists. The term “rangeland” is not mentioned explicitly but is expected to be included in the term “ecosystems.”
Sustainable pastoralism can potentially help achieve all SDG goals. But also
implementing the SDGs can help transform pastoralism towards sustainability,
M. Niamir-Fuller and E. Huber-Sannwald
ecological improvement; to build on local initiatives and solutions by adopting real
participation and to manage social and ecological properties in a system context,
while fostering variability and diversity.
Potential of SDGs to Achieve Sustainable Pastoralism
The most quoted definition of “sustainable development” first appeared in the
Brundtland Report (Brundtland Commission 1987). But it was not until 1992 when
the global community took practical steps towards its achievement. During the UN
Conference on Environment and Development (the Rio Summit) governments committed to negotiating global environmental goals on climate change, biodiversity
conservation, and combatting desertification. It took another 28 years for the sustainable development goals to be adopted by 198 countries in 2015 as the operational part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (UN 2015). It covers
17 major goals, 169 targets, and 232 indicators. The process of adoption of these
goals was an excellent example of how multi-sectoral dialogue can be promoted.
The package also shows how the complexity of issues today cannot be distilled into
three or four primary goals (as some politicians and pundits had wished for).
Although most of the 17 goals and 169 targets are focusing on one sector, many are
cross-cutting (e.g., inequality, capacity building), and the challenge is to target
synergies among several SDGs (Mainali et al. 2018).
SDG Strategy, Goals, and Targets
The preambular clause of the 2030 Agenda (paragraph 16) calls for integrated solutions, and commits nations to a new approach to sustainable development, recognizing that eradicating poverty and inequality, preserving the planet, and creating
sustained and inclusive economic growth are linked and interdependent. But the
negotiations that led to the creation of the SDGs also highlighted some of the challenges, namely the difficulties in reconciling regional priorities and national sovereignty with a global consensus; the political sensitivity or skepticism of certain
concepts and issues such as inequality, climate change, ecosystem services, or governance; and the aggregation and generalization of issues through diplomatic language. The word “pastoralist” is only mentioned once in the SDGs, in connection
with promoting sustainable agriculture (Goal 2, Target 2.3). It took considerable
lobbying by many countries with large populations of pastoralists, and by civil society, to succeed in gaining this recognition. The 2030 Agenda preambular clause
(paragraphs 18, 22, 23) especially singles out indigenous peoples, and for some
countries that includes pastoralists. The term “rangeland” is not mentioned explicitly but is expected to be included in the term “ecosystems.”
Sustainable pastoralism can potentially help achieve all SDG goals. But also
implementing the SDGs can help transform pastoralism towards sustainability,
M. Niamir-Fuller and E. Huber-Sannwald