New Resource: Mobile Pastoralism and Protected Areas

Jul 5, 2019 | Reports & Papers

Our latest paper titled “Mobile Pastoralism and Protected Areas: Conflict, Collaboration and Connectivity” has just been published in PARKS: The International Journal of Protected Areas and Conservation.

In this paper we considered the many benefits of mobile pastoralism for nature conservation, in particular those related to connectivity between protected areas and wider landscapes ensured by the movement of livestock, based on scientific evidences.

This includes our case study on the correlation of the new vectoral mapping data of Spanish drove roads that we produced, with protected areas and other areas of high biodiversity. In doing so we aim to raise some serious questions for reflection by the protected area community considering the lack of proper collaboration between conservationists and mobile pastoralists in the majority of formal protected area systems. Accordingly, paper addresses the opportunities for collaboration including new conservation approaches such as Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECMs) and Areas of Connectivity Conservation  (ACCs) and suggests a set of recommendations towards ensuring the needed shift from conflict to collaboration.

Read the paper here.

Read our stories from partners and practitioners.

Read our stories from partners and practitioners.

Report: A Case of Benign Neglect

Report: A Case of Benign Neglect

The UN Environment Programme Report: "A case of benign neglect: Knowledge gaps about sustainability in pastoralism and rangelands", which we have contributed to, directly responds to one of the UN resolutions which acknowledges the dearth of information on pastoralism...

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Interviewing Swiss Shepherds

Interviewing Swiss Shepherds

To better understand the practice of mobile pastoralism in Switzerland, DiversEarth's Sandra Spissinger and intern Jade Boudet spent two days interviewing and photographing three shepherds - all very different in character and way of working. The first - Mr. Imberti -...

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Meeting the Last Mobile Pastoralists of Geneva

Meeting the Last Mobile Pastoralists of Geneva

To better understand the practice of mobile pastoralism in Switzerland, DiversEarth's Sandra Spissinger and intern Jade Boudet spent two days interviewing and photographing three shepherds - all very different in character and way of working. The first - Mr. Imberti -...

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Désalpe: Welcoming the Cows Home in Switzerland.

Désalpe: Welcoming the Cows Home in Switzerland.

The photos celebrate the Désalpe 2014, when the herds descent onto St Cergue Crassier from the pastures. The beauty of this practice connects generations, and has been beautifully captured by the photographer along with the excitement of the whole event. Although the...

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