Wageningen University’s Annah Lake Zhu Addressed Pastoral Futures at UNCCD COP17
- AL (Annah) Zhu, PhD MPhil
- associate professor
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia /26 August 2026 — Annah Lake Zhu, Associate Professor of Environmental Policy at Wageningen University & Research, took the stage as a featured panelist at the 17th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP17) in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
The session, titled Sustainable Rangeland Governance and Pastoral Futures, was held during Land Day in Tsagaadai Hall within the COP17 Green Zone. Co-organized by Wageningen University & Research alongside Conservation International, Public Foundation CAMP Alatoo, and WWF China, the 90-minute panel focused on practical pathways to strengthen resilient rangeland systems amid worsening land degradation, climate risks, and shifting rural livelihoods.
As the opening speaker, Dr. Zhu discussed her research on Africa’s Great Green Wall in Senegal under the Cultural Heritage in Motion (www.cuhemo.org) project. She highlighted how inclusive policy design, pastoralist knowledge, and landscape restoration must work together to sustain livelihoods.
Dr. Zhu contributed alongside an international lineup of experts:
• Corle Swart, Conservation International (Herding for Health)
• Maksat Miinazarov, Public Foundation CAMP Alatoo
• Wang Jing, WWF Northeast China
• Qian Wang (Moderator), WWF China
The session concluded with shared priority messages and actionable next steps for advancing community-centered rangeland stewardship across Africa and Asia.
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