How can behavioral science support rangeland restoration and pastoralist livelihoods?
Rangelands and grasslands are sources of biodiversity and play vital roles in climate regulation and in combating desertification. They also serve as a means of livelihood for millions of people worldwide. However, both rangelands and grasslands are at risk of increasing degradation due to land privatization, resource extraction, climate change, land misuse, and, ultimately, unsustainable human behavior.
Rare and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) analyzed key actors and behaviors in the context of degraded grasslands to identify potential factors influencing behaviors and develop behaviorally informed solutions using Rare’s Behavior-Centered Design framework.
Key findings
Based on the research and case studies on rangeland conservation, we have found three key diagnostic factors that influence human behavior:
Feasibility: people acting based on their conditions and context, including regarding land tenure;
Legitimacy and coordination: people being affected by social norms and expectations; and
Identity and routine: people making decisions based on their values and identity
Solution pathways
1. Aligning resources with moments of action
When resources are unavailable at a critical moment, people are unable to respond or adapt effectively to meet those needs. Cases from Kenya and Mongolia show that providing price subsidies and resources at the precise moment they are needed most leads to better conservation outcomes than offering those same resources at other times when it’s harder to act.
2. Reviving customary institutions through state recognition and community coordination
Over the years, some state and foreign actors have eroded the legitimacy and governing powers of local institutions that once successfully managed rangelands, as pressure to modernize and convert land for profit has increased. Yet communities still trust these customary rules and remain familiar with them, so state recognition can help restore their former legitimacy and authority. An example from Jordan shows how the Hima system of rangeland management reemerged as a powerful governing force once the government publicly supported and funded it.
3. Using peer learning to make change feel normal, doable, and legitimate
People often continue the behaviors they know, but seeing trusted peers having success with other behaviors can help shift what feels possible and normal. When people learn from and exchange ideas with their peers, everyone benefits by feeling permission to try something new. Examples from Kenya, Sudan, Tanzania, and Vietnam show how these learning opportunities led to the adoption of more sustainable practices. The same is true for institutions where positive peer pressure can lead to new norms around important issues such as land tenure.