Rangelands centre stage at International Congress

29 August 2025

Here’s a statistic you may not be aware of - rangelands cover 54 per cent of all terrestrial landscapes across the globe. How about that 81 per cent of Australia is considered rangelands?

There is so much to learn about rangelands - areas of land dominated by natural vegetation such as grasslands, scrublands, woodlands, wetlands and deserts.

Someone who knows more than most about rangelands is Hub Drought Adoption Officer (DAO) Jess Armstrong, having just attended the 12th International Rangelands Congress in June at the Adelaide Convention Centre.

Around 700 rangelands experts from Australia, the Americas, Nepal, Mongolia, Africa and more took part in the week-long event featuring an extensive portfolio of research, development and adoption on a global stage.

“We heard the latest research on everything from spatial sciences, to modelling to education and extension, to the climate risk and carbon and environmental space,” Jess said.

“It was really great to see how different countries are approaching different challenges based on the specificity that they experience in their own backyards.”

Rangelands are integral to Jess’ work in western NSW. She’s now supporting discussions between with Western Landcare NSW, Western Local Lands Services and the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development Climate Applications team on how to help landholders make decisions specific to rangelands.

“It’s exciting to consider how we could take forecasting tools like the existing Farming Forecaster tool we have in the east, and work together to make it fit-for-purpose in the rangelands,” she said.

“Making a tool for farmers that includes data from existing weather stations, advice on rangelands species and pasture monitoring which can help with grazing management.

“I probably would not have been as informed as these discussions without having attended the Congress. I also must thank the Hub for supporting my participation in this event.”