Global Observance of World Day against Desertification and Drought

Why in News ? India recently participated in the global observance of the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, reinforcing its dedication to sustainable land management and climate resilience.

Relevance : Pre & Mains

Prelims: NAAPC/UNCCD

Mains :  GS 1- Geo/ GS 3 –Environment

Established: By the United Nations General Assembly in 1994, observed annually on June 17.

Purpose: Raises awareness about the critical need for sustainable land management and collective action to combat desertification.

Theme for 2025: “Restore the Land. Unlock the Opportunities.”

Understanding Desertification:

• Definition by UNCCD: Desertification refers to “land degradation in arid, semi-arid, and dry sub-humid areas caused by factors such as climatic variations and human activities.”
• Global Impact: Land degradation accelerates, costing the global economy $878 billion yearly, with Africa and Asia, particularly the Sahel, Middle East, and Central Asia, being the most affected regions.
• India’s Scenario: Per ISRO’s 2021 Desertification and Land Degradation Atlas, 29.7% of India’s total geographical area is experiencing desertification or land degradation.
• UNCCD’s Role: The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification promotes policies for sustainable land use and climate resilience.

Causes of Desertification:

• Environmental Factors: Drought, erratic rainfall, wind and water erosion, and climate change.
• Human Activities: Overgrazing, deforestation, unsustainable agriculture, urbanization, industrialization, excessive groundwater extraction, poor irrigation practices, soil salinization, mining, and infrastructure development.

 Consequences of Desertification:

• Environmental: Reduced soil fertility, biodiversity loss, diminished groundwater recharge, intensified climate change due to lower carbon sequestration, and increased dust storms and sand encroachment.
• Economic: Decreased agricultural productivity, loss of livelihoods for farmers and pastoralists, heightened rural poverty, food insecurity, migration pressures, and significant costs for restoration and irrigation infrastructure.
• Social: Forced migration, resource-based conflicts, and erosion of traditional and indigenous land management knowledge.
• Geopolitical: Fuels transboundary tensions over water, land, and food security, especially in vulnerable regions like the Sahel and Indo-Gangetic plains.

India’s Initiatives:

• National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC): Includes the National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture and Green India Mission to tackle land degradation.
• Afforestation Efforts: The National Afforestation Programme, Green India Mission, Forest Fire Protection & Management Scheme, and Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) promote forest conservation and expansion.
• Desert Development Programme (DDP): Focuses on arid zones through integrated watershed management.
• Coastal Ecosystem Conservation: Annual Management Action Plans under the National Coastal Mission protect mangroves and coral reefs in coastal states and Union Territories.

Global Commitments

• UNCCD: India, a member since 1996, hosted the 14th Conference of Parties (COP-14) in New Delhi in 2019.
• Bonn Challenge: India committed to restoring 13 million hectares of degraded land by 2020 and an additional 8 million hectares by 2030.
• 2030 Agenda (SDG 15.3): India aims to achieve Land Degradation Neutrality.