Restoring 2.6 crore hectare of degraded land by 2030

The story: At a UN dialogue in June, India's PM said that India was working towards restoring 2.6 crore hectares of degraded land by 2030 and assistin

Restoring 2.6 crore hectare of degraded land by 2030

---

 

• The story: At a UN dialogue in June, India's PM said that India was working towards restoring 2.6 crore hectares of degraded land by 2030 and assisting fellow developing countries to develop land-restoration strategies. India was on track to achieve the national commitment of land degradation neutrality.
• Details: The PM claimed it would contribute to India's commitment to achieve an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion (250 to 300 crore) tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent. Asserting that land degradation affects over two-thirds of the world today, PM Modi said if left unchecked, it will erode the very foundations of our societies, economies, food security, health, safety and quality of life.
• India's steps: India has taken the lead to highlight land-degradation issues at international forums and the "Delhi Declaration" of 2019 called for better access and stewardship over land and emphasized gender-sensitive transformative projects.

1. In India, over the last 10 years, around three million (30 lakh) hectares of forest cover had been added. This has enhanced the combined forest cover to almost one-fourth of the country's total area.
2. Restoration of land can start a cycle for good soil health, increased land productivity, food security and improved livelihoods.
3. As land degradation poses a special challenge to the developing world, in the spirit of South-South cooperation, India is assisting fellow developing countries to develop land-restoration strategies. A centre of excellence is being set up in the country to promote a scientific approach towards land degradation issues.

• Knowledge centre:

1. Land degradation - Land degradation is when the value of the biophysical environment is affected by one or more combination of human induced processes acting upon the land. It can be viewed as any change or disturbance to the land perceived to be deleterious or undesirable. Taking the form of desertification, deforestation, overgrazing, salinization, or soil erosion, land degradation can be caused by biophysical factors, such as the natural topography of an area or its rainfall, wind, and temperature; and unsustainable land management practices, such as deforestation, soil nutrient mining etc. Land degradation will remain an important global issue for the 21st century because of its adverse impact on agronomic productivity, the environment, and its effect on food security and the quality of life.
2. UNCCD - Established in 1994, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is the sole legally binding international agreement linking environment and development to sustainable land management. Overgrazing is the major cause of desertification worldwide. Other factors that cause desertification include urbanization, climate change, overuse of groundwater, deforestation, natural disasters, and tillage practices in agriculture that ake soils more vulnerable to wind. India is a signatory to the United Nations Convention for Combating Desertification (UNCCD). The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) is the nodal Ministry of Government of India (GoI) that oversees implementation of the Convention in the country. The 14th edition of the Conference of Parties (COP-14) to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) ended on 13th September 2019 in New Delhi.

Join PT courses | PT Youtube | PT App | Contribute |  Testimonials