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Grasslands — also known as prairies, steppes, pampas or savannas — are home to 25% of the world's population and all kinds of plants and wildlife, including elephants, rhinos and lions.
They also combat climate change by absorbing carbon from the air and storing it underground. Yet, even though they cover more than 50% of the Earth's surface, just 12% of grasslands are protected, with conservation efforts often overlooking them.
As a result, they are suffering heavily, especially through land degradation — such as the loss of vegetation cover due to overgrazing or the loss of key species due to pollution, agriculture or invasive species — and the replacement of native species with crops.
"We are advocating for the protection, sustainable management and restoration of grasslands and savannas globally," Leonie Meier, WWF Global Grasslands and Savannahs Initiative Lead, told CNN's Yara Enany at COP16, a conference of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, ongoing in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, until December 13.
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📸 Nelson Almeida/FP/Getty Images
