The Year of Pastoralists Must Be More Than SymbolicWASHINGTON DC, Aug 6 2026 (IPS) - This is supposed to be the year the world finally sees and recognizes pastoralists. Unless governments and institutions use this moment to move from visibility to rights, pastoralists will continue to be praised in speeches while being pushed further to the margins in law, policy and investment. Pastoralists are also being squeezed by policies and development models that misunderstand and overlook how their systems work and focus on a narrative that pastoralists are a threat to ecosystems. While governments may acknowledge pastoralist land access in some form, mobility—the foundation of pastoralist livelihoods—is rarely protected in law. Climate resilience cannot be built while half the community is excluded from decisions that affect them and shape our collective future.