Meet the Chair of the Committee on Forestry Working Group on Dryland Forests and Agrosilvopastoral Systems

Dr. Batkhuu Nyam-Osor is the current chair of the Committee on Forestry (COFO) Working Group (WG) on Dryland Forests and Agrosilvopastoral Systems (COFO WG), and was appointed in the third Session of the Working Group, celebrated in Jordan in 2023. He represents Mongolia in the COFO as advisor to the President of Mongolia on Environment and Green Development Policy, and also acts as deputy coordinator of the IUFRO division in charge of interconnecting forests, science and people. In addition, he represents the COFO WG in the global coordination group of 2026 International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralism (IYRP).

Dryland forests and agrosilvopastoral systems are vital for our planet, playing crucial ecological, social and economic roles. Accordingly, in his function as the COFO WG Chairperson, Dr. Batkhuu leads the mandate to protect and restore drylands, enhance the livelihoods and boost the resilience of people stewarding the drier areas of the world, and to advocate for a transdisciplinary and integrated perspective on the sustainable development of forests, trees and livestock. 

Although less visible than other ecosystems, drylands' open forests are not only resilient, but also magnificent in their diversity and multifunctionality. They host species adapted to extreme ecological conditions, provide essential goods and ecosystems services, and teach us how to adapt to climate change and our territories. The use of grazing livestock, the accurate management of trees, shrubs and grasses, and the diversification of production and the sustainable use of many overlapping resources has provided people managing drylands with key tools for addressing some of the most pressing challenges at the global level.

Unfortunately, woody rangelands, savannahs and dry forests all around the world are under threat from degradation, conversion and overexploitation. Extensive areas of drylands are degraded or at high risk of further degradation and associated environmental and socio-economic impacts. Conversely, the work of the COFO WG demonstrates how applying a silvopastoral approach, improving management and restoration and upgrading governance issues, forests and agrosilvopastoral systems can help alleviate poverty and contribute to food security and sustainable livelihoods of two billion people worldwide.

Currently, 68 countries hosting drylands participate in the COFO WG and the many activities the group deploys, raising awareness on the importance of the dryland context to inform decision-making and policy development since 2019. As part of this effort, the WG has partnered with different institutions and organizations developing inspiring initiatives. For instance, the WG collaborated with FAO’s Animal Health and Production Division in 2022 to publish Grazing with trees, a Forestry Paper assessing the positive role that optimized extensive grazing livestock farming can play in the management and restoration of drylands’ forests and lands with trees. The report was accompanied by a policy brief with key policy recommendations. The COFO WG along with 18 partners has also set in motion an e-learning course on sustainable dryland management and the first Drylands Summer School with the support of the IYRP. 

The partnership between the COFO WG and DSL-IP goes back to the COFO WG’s inaugural session in 2019. The DSL-IP programme works with existing networks and platforms to support progress towards Land Degradation Neutrality, with the aim of avoiding, reducing, and reversing further degradation, desertification, and deforestation. Accordingly, the WG’s role is to work on the policy side to facilitate the DSL-IP Program implementation, ensure overall coherence, and drive consistent Program-wide outcomes on the ground. The COFO WG is committed to the DSL-IP activities, giving feedback and providing ideas to support the different Communities of Practice defined by the Programme. An overall cooperation flows between both sides when addressing knowledge and practices to improve Sustainable Land and Forest Management and better value chains for drylands products. 

Dr. Batkhuu also represents Mongolia's commitment to the global drylands, rangelands and pastoralist movement. Mongolia seeded and is currently taking a lead role among UN country members in the celebration of 2026 IYRP, promoting different alliances and events. A similar level of implication is shown by the country regarding the work developed by both the DSL-IP and the COFO WG. The COFO WG looks forward to collaborating with the DSL-IP during the upcoming Fourth session of the COFO WG in the third quarter of 2025, and organizing the fouth Summer School in 2026, coinciding with the celebration of the IYRP.