| Sumario: | The rapid expansion of unconventional oil and gas development in the oil-gas-mineral (OGM) states
has been controversial because of numerous environmental and social impacts. OGM industries have
existed on rangelands for many years with various impacts depending upon the scope of operations and
level of professional management (Walsh and Rose 2022; Allred et al. 2015; Chomphosy et al. 2021).
In the last decades, energy production has become the largest user of rangelands in several parts of the
OGM produced countries, occupying large areas and becoming the largest driver of land-use change
(Kreuter et al. 2016). Although emerging energy resources, such as wind and solar, are growing rapidly
due to the new advanced technologies, fossil fuel production continues and is predicted to expand in
the future (Covert et al. 2016). This will have significant increases in damages to rangelands in terms
of reduction of biodiversity, loses in vegetation, increase in carbon emissions, disruption on the natural
ecological process, reduction and contamination of ground water, and decrease on the ecosystem
services – the potential benefits that natural rangelands provide to humanity.
In the frame of STELARR (Sustainable Investments for Large-scale Rangeland Restoration) project,
this paper aims to give a comprehensive overview on the role this industry could play on rangeland
restoration in the West Asia and Middle East (WAME) region and what is expected from it in terms of
sustainable business practices and what roles the OGM countries-governments are to play given that
are currently confronted by overlapping rangeland-oriented demands from ecologists and industry.
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