The United Nations General Assembly has designated 2026 as the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP). Around 75 percent of Australia is broadly defined as rangelands. Rangelands extend across low rainfall and variable climates, including arid, semi-arid, and, north of the Tropic of Capricorn, some seasonally high rainfall areas.

They include a diverse group of relatively undisturbed ecosystems suchas tropical savannas, woodlands, shrublands and grasslands. The IYRP aims to increase public awareness of the value of rangelands, promote pastoralist knowledge, advocate for sustainable rangeland stewardship and pastoralist livelihoods, and foster ethical investment in rangelands.