Across Southern Africa, communally governed rangelands support wildlife, vast informal economies and millions of people.

 
There has been international interest in rangelands as spaces for landscape restoration and ecosystems management associated with ‘nature-based solutions’ (NbS). But these dynamic landscapes are often misunderstood.

Much of the evidence about NbS comes from very different settings in the Global North. This leads to assumptions and practices that do not take account of the histories of Southern African rangelands, and their changing social, ecological and political contexts.

REPAiR critically explores whether and how equitable, contextual, community-led approaches to NbS can support adaptability and resilience in Southern Africa’s rangelands.

Latest posts

22 April 2026 - Tim Zocco

Comics in research

comics

REPAiR team member Tim Zocco explains – in the form of a comic – why comics are valuable in research.

17 April 2026 - Kalani Foster

Technology, boundary-making, and the myth that ‘carbon is carbon’

Rangeland myths

New technologies are encouraging carbon to be viewed as an abstract unit, separated from social and ecological context.

HIGHLIGHTS

Understanding rangelands and grasslands

Rangelands are complex and productive landscapes, but have been neglected and misunderstood in agricultural policy.

Who we are

The REPAiR team brings together disciplinary and thematic research expertise spanning the social sciences, natural sciences and humanities, with partners based in the UK and South Africa. The team also includes people with practical experience in working with rangeland communities on conservation and market access.

Meet the team

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Project Partners