December 2025: Looking back on 2025 – and ahead to an exciting final project year

As we approach the end of the year, we would like to extend warm season’s greetings to all our partners and stakeholders. 2025 has been a highly successful and rewarding year for NamTip. Highlights include our Winter School and final project meeting in Namibia in June, the publication of a growing series of factsheets (with more still in preparation), and numerous scientific papers and conference contributions. We are especially proud to celebrate the successful completion of three PhD projects by Namibian project members - an important milestone for both individual careers and long-term research capacity building.

Looking ahead, the NamTip project enters its final year of funding in 2026, with many exciting activities, analyses, and publications still underway. The timing could not be better: 2026 has been designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP 2026), coordinated by FAO. The International Year will highlight the crucial role of rangelands - which cover around half of the Earth’s land surface - in supporting biodiversity, climate regulation, and the livelihoods and cultural identities of millions of farmers and pastoralists worldwide. It also aims to draw attention to the growing pressures these ecosystems face and to promote sustainable rangeland management, restoration, and inclusive governance.

We are excited that our project’s final year aligns so closely with this global initiative and look forward to contributing evidence, insights, and dialogue to the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists.

Thank you for your continued interest and support - we wish you a restful end of the year and a promising start to 2026.