During 2026, the REPAiR Project is hosting a series of activities and events to explore ‘rangeland myths’ in global perspective. This initiative is part of our engagement with the UN International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP 2026).
Our online discussion on 17 June will explore the myth that ‘healthy ecosystems are green’ - read on to find out more.
Myth: ‘Healthy ecosystems are green’
by Jeremy Allouche and Linda Pappagallo
The idea that ‘green’ ecosystems are automatically more healthy is based on a long history of assumptions about nature.
Brahim El Guabli is an Amazigh scholar and associate professor of Arabic studies and comparative literature. His most recent book, Desert Imaginations: A History of Saharanism and its Radical Consequences, examines how many societies have come to imagine deserts through what he calls ‘Saharanism’: an ideological framework that portrays deserts as empty and available for exploitation.
In this episode of the REPAiR Podcast, Linda Pappagallo talks to him about his work and the legacies of rangeland myths about ‘green’ landscapes.
Join our online discussion to explore the 'green' aesthetic, and how this leads to myths about desertification, degradation and pasture ecosystems.
For this event, we are delighted to welcome Igshaan Samuels and Brahim El Guabli as guest speakers. Our co-chairs for this discussion are Jeremy Allouche and Linda Pappagallo. The event is open to all and free to join - simply register in advance to participate.
Share your views: Global survey on rangeland myths
Overview: Rangeland Myths (REPAiR website)
The REPAiR Project shared research insights with policy makers and others at the launch of the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP) in Antananarivo.
by Simphiwe Tsawu and Tafadzwa Dzingwe
The crucial question of who ‘owns’ rangelands in South Africa is shaped by overlapping forces – traditional authorities, colonial legacies and more recently-formed grazing associations.
Photos: (1) Minister of Livestock at the IYRP event in Madagascar / (2) Landscape in Umzimvubu, South Africa
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