World’s Rangelands ‘In Trouble’ as Global Soil Summit Opens in Mongolia

Global leaders, scientists, and negotiators have gathered in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, to issue a stark warning: the planet’s rangelands are in crisis. These vast landscapes—covering roughly half of Earth’s land surface—are degrading at an alarming rate. But the meeting carries a message of hope as well as urgency. According to the delegates, restoring these lands and their soils offers a powerful defense against drought. If farmers and land users act collectively, they can revive the ecosystems that billions of people depend on for food and water. The summit, now underway, aims to turn that warning into a coordinated global action plan. The stakes are high: without intervention, the degradation of rangelands could accelerate desertification and intensify water scarcity worldwide.