Healthy Ecosystems for Rangeland Development (HERD)

Rangelands that are subject to land degradation are the object of management interventions under this project. The concept of HERD “Healthy Ecosystems for Rangeland Development “is being consolidated through this project on the back of numerous projects, programs, initiatives, studies, scientific articles, and policy papers. The current GEF intervention focuses on Jordan and Egypt and on the specific issue of desertification (or land degradation in drylands), which affects pastoral rangelands in these two countries. In addition, the project also proposes to serve as a ‘catalyst’ for scaling up of HERD, both regionally and globally. HERD builds on the sustainable management of pastoral rangelands for the provision of ecosystem services and protection of biodiversity.

IUCN ROWA

The project’s objective is to strengthen the restoration and sustainable management of pastoral rangelands for the provision of ecosystem services and protection of biodiversity in Egypt and Jordan and catalysing scale-up regionally and globally.

This will be achieved through the delivery of six results-oriented project Outcomes, grouped under four Components that focus on the following:

(1) Provision of evidence-based technical assistance.

(2) Institutional strengthening for rangeland governance.

(3) Up-scaling of good practices in Sustainable Rangeland Management (SRM).

(4) Promoting SRM knowledge management at the global and regional levels.

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is the executing agency for the overall project, with all associated responsibilities.

In collaboration with the Ministry of Environment in Jordan and Egypt, the IUCN signed sub-grant agreements with implementing partners in each of the participating countries. These are:

The Hashemite Fund for Development of the Jordan Badia (HFDB: Jordan)
The Royal Botanical Gardens (RBG: Jordan)
The Desert Research Centre (DRC: Egypt)
The Centre for Environment and Development for the Arab Region and Europe (CEDARE: Egypt/Regional)

The project is in line with LD Strategic Objective LD-1: Agriculture and Rangeland Systems: Maintain or improve the flow of agro-ecosystem services sustaining the livelihoods of local communities and LD-3: Integrated Landscapes: Reduce pressures on natural resources from competing land uses in the wider landscape.

Project implemented by: UN Environment

Project Executed by: IUCN Regional Office for West Asia (ROWA)

Project Funded By: Global Environment Facility (GEF)