12-May-2022: National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) holds One-day Consultative Workshop on Forest Fire Management in India

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) organised a one-day Consultative workshop for 'Forest Fire Management in India' yesterday in New Delhi in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change.

The Workshop largely focused on Strengthening of Forest Fire Management in the 26 most forest fire affected districts of India spread over 11 States. It also focused on preventing future forest fire outbreaks and ensuing effective and swift response towards this disaster. Keeping these in mind, various officers of MHA, NDMA, IAF, NDRF, FSI, ICFRE, IGNFA and MoEF & CC and Forest Departments of 11 states conducted sessions related to forest fire training, fire alerts and early warning, meteorological drivers of forest fire forecasting, issues and challenges of forest fire management, Global best practices on forest fire management, capacity and training constraints.

In his Inaugural address the Union Minister of State for Home Affairs,  Shri. Nityanand Rai, stated that "The fire-fighting action plans must be prepared for each forest range, considering the climate, type of vegetation, availability of water etc. Local communities should be trained as first responders to forest fires. The challenge before us is to strive towards higher levels of preparedness, mitigation efforts and strengthening our response mechanisms to deal with the effects of forest fires. "He further added that , Disaster Management  is of great concern to the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi , since he had clearly defined a ten point agenda in his Inaugural speech at Asian Ministerial Conference in  2016, that stresses on disaster risk reduction, local community involvement, using social media for disaster risk reduction, pointing out the role of women in managing disasters as well as reviewing and learning from past experiences through analysis and deliberations." in responding to forest fire etc.

The Union Minister of State for Environment, Forests and Climate Change and Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Shri Ashwini Kumar Choubey, in his Keynote address said, "We should follow prevention and control of forest fires by informing, enabling and empowering forest fringe communities and incentivising them to work with State Forest departments. Capacity building, by creating effective forest fire detection and alert system, digitizing location of critical resources, equipping fire fighters, training field staff and forest fire risk zonation and mapping are all extremely crucial in handling disasters." He also mentioned that, “ that the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi is extremely sensitive about the state of Disaster Management in the country, and that there is a need for conducting mock drills in forest prone States and districts, involving concerned stakeholders and he appealed to all State Monitoring committees to ensure that Standard Operating Procedures may be developed and disseminated.”

In an attempt to chart a roadmap for generating awareness towards forest fires, various technical sessions on awareness to various problems and solutions related to forest fire management were held as a part of the one day workshop. This included active discussions and deliberations with Divisional Forest Officers of 26 most forest fire affected districts in the country with respect to forest fires. Delegates from various forest fire prone States discussed needs and challenges of forest fire in their particular zones/districts.

Detailed discussions on forest fire incident scenarios and issues and challenges outlined by speakers under different categories of prevention, preparedness, early warning and response will help in framing recommendations and compiling a list of intended actions both at the National level and by Forest Departments of respective States. The proposed “National Forest Fire Management Project” was discussed and solutions were sought through deliberations and knowledge sharing and this workshop set various critical components of this future project. This Project will bring in effective and efficient multi-department response to forest fire management.

24-Mar-2020: Government of India issues Orders prescribing lockdown for containment of COVID-19 Epidemic in the country

The COVID-19 epidemic has affected many countries and the World Health Organisation has declared it ‘Pandemic’.

Government of India (GOI) has been taking several proactive preventive and mitigating measures starting with progressive tightening of international travel, issue of advisories for the members of the public, setting up quarantine facilities, contact tracing of persons infected by the virus and various social distancing measures. Several advisories have been issued to States and Union Territories (UTs) for taking necessary measures to contain the spread of this virus. Government have temporarily suspended metro and rail services as well as domestic air traffic.

The situation has been continuously reviewed at the level of the Prime Minister of India. The PM has addressed the Nation on the need for preventive measures and has also held meeting with all the Chief Ministers through video conference.

Experts, keeping in view the global experiences of countries which have been successful in containing the spread of COVID-19 unlike some others where thousands of people died, have recommended that effective measures for social distancing should be taken to contain the spread of this pandemic

While steps taken by State/UT Governments are in the right direction, lack of uniformity in the measures adopted as well as in their implementation, may not serve the objective of containing the spread of the virus. Considering the situation. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), chaired by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, in exercise of the powers under section 6(2)(i) of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, has issued an Order dated 24.03.2020, directing the Ministries/ Departments of Government of India, and the State/Union Territory Governments and State/ Union Territory Authorities to take effective measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the country.

In compliance of the said Order of NDMA, Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has issued an Order dated 24.03.2020 under Section 10(2)(l) of the Disaster Management Act, directing the Ministries/ Departments of Government of India, State/Union Territory Governments and State/ Union Territory Authorities to take effective measures for ensuring social distancing so as to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the country. The Order shall remain in force, in all parts of the country, for a period of 21 days with effect from 25.03.2020.

The Ministries/ Departments of Government of India and State Governments/Union Territory Administrations, have been directed to ensure strict implementation of these Orders. The implementation of these measures will be monitored by MHA.

26-Feb-2019: NDMA to conduct national workshop on heat wave risk reduction

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) is conducting a two-day national workshop on heat wave risk reduction on 27-28 February, 2019. The workshop, to be held at Nagpur, has been organised in collaboration with the Maharashtra Government.

Heat wave has emerged as one of the major severe weather events around the globe in recent years. Climate change is driving temperatures higher as well as increasing the frequency and severity of heat waves. India too is experiencing increased instances of heat waves every year.

NDMA has been closely working with vulnerable States to reduce the adverse impacts of heat wave.

Sustained efforts - timely release and effective implementation of the national Guidelines on heat wave, preparation of Heat Action Plans by 13 vulnerable States, regular follow-up and monitoring by NDMA, extensive awareness generation campaigns through print, electronic and social media, preparedness workshops in 2017 and 2018 - have significantly brought down the  number of heat-related deaths in the past few years. From more than 2,000 deaths in 2015, the number came down to 25 in 2018.

In this backdrop, this workshop aims to sensitise the States to the need of preparing and implementing specific Heat Action Plans. Some of the most vulnerable States, which have done a commendable job in mitigating the impact of heat waves, will share their experiences and best practices to help other stakeholders draw lessons.

It will also provide an opportunity for community capacity building and awareness generation among vulnerable populations. The workshop will also discuss the integration of long-term heat risk reduction measures into developmental plans as well as Climate Change Adaptation.

The workshop will be attended by experts on heat wave as well as other stakeholders such as early warning and forecasting agencies, State governments and research institutions apart from Members and senior officials from NDMA.

27-Oct-2018: 14th Formation Day of NDMA

The Minister of State for Home Affairs, Shri Kiren Rijiju, inaugurated the 14th Formation Day of National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). The theme of this year’s Formation Day is ‘Early Warning for Disasters’.

Delivering the inaugural address, Shri Rijiju said, “NDMA has changed the way Disaster Management is looked upon as a subject - that a disaster can be prevented. With such a vast geography and population while also being a democracy, we have come a long way in managing disasters; the world cannot ignore India when it comes to Disaster Risk Reduction. India is taking a lead role in matters pertaining to Disaster Management.” He also emphasized that half the battle against the disasters would be won by increasing disaster awareness and improving early warning systems. He said that the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi is taking special interest in making the country more disaster resilient.

On the occasion, NDMA also released a training manual for masons on Hazard-Resistant Construction. A study report on “Gujarat floods 2017: A Case Study” will also be released.

Early warning is a major element of disaster risk reduction and can minimise the loss of lives and economic impacts. Timely early warning is key to a structured and efficient response.

To be effective, early warning systems need to involve the communities at risk, generate public awareness, effectively disseminate warnings and ensure there is a constant state of preparedness. Over the years, India has made considerable progress in issuing accurate and timely early warning, especially for cyclones. Earlier this month, authorities could evacuate thousands before Cyclone Gaja made its landfall as its path was accurately predicted.

18-Oct-2018: Prime Minister chairs 6th meeting of NDMA

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi chaired the sixth meeting of National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) at New Delhi.

Prime Minister reviewed the activities of NDMA to effectively manage and respond to disasters affecting the country. He also reviewed ongoing projects undertaken by NDMA.

Prime Minister emphasized on the need for better coordination between the various stakeholders and undertake more joint exercises to bring about effective response to save life and property. He stressed upon the need to bring in global expertise in the field of disaster management.

Union Home Minister, Shri Rajnath Singh, Union Finance Minister, Shri Arun Jaitley and Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Shri Radha Mohan Singh were present in the meeting, along with members and officials of NDMA.

28-Sep-2017: 13th Formation Day of NDMA

The Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh inaugurated the 13th Formation Day of National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). The theme of this year’s formation day is ‘School Safety’.

Delivering the inaugural address, Shri Rajnath Singh said that NDMA has covered a long distance in short time span of 13 years since its formation. He said that NDMA has established credibility of India across world. He further said that there was no institutional framework for disaster management earlier, but after the setting up of NDMA, a mechanism has been developed not only for disaster management, but also for disaster risk reduction. He expressed happiness that India got appreciation due to NDMA’s work at Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting on Disaster management held in Kyrgyzstan last month, where he had participated. He said that NDMA has done good work for enhancing the disaster management capabilities. The Home Minister said that he had also moved a proposal to organise a Joint Urban Earthquake Search and Rescue exercise to improve collective preparedness and this proposal was accepted unanimously by all the members of the SCO.

The Home Minister said that all countries stand together when there is any humanitarian issue. He said that there could be differences on some issues among the countries, but we stand together in case of any disaster in the world. He said when any country enhances its capabilities and expertise; it gets success in getting others close to it. Shri Rajnath Singh said that every country has a boundary, but the nature does not recognise these boundaries. Any disaster happening in any country is bound to affect the neighbouring country in that geographical area, he added. He said that India had extended help to earthquake-hit Nepal in 2014 and also India had sent NDRF team to Japan for help.

Diplomatic efforts are also required in managing disasters arising out of floods. He said that hydrological data on rivers should be shared by the neighbouring countries and a consensus needs to be developed in this regard. He expressed hope that a beginning in this regard will be made during BIMSTEC Disaster Management Exercise next month.

Speaking on this year’s theme of ‘school safety’, Shri Rajnath Singh congratulated NDMA for focusing on integrating children in their disaster management exercise. He said that the children can volunteer in this area and their energy and imagination can be of great help to NDMA. He further said that children should be involved based on their interest in this subject. He congratulated NDMA for making efforts for disaster safety and he expressed belief that NDMA will fulfil dream of a ‘Safe India’.

The Union Home Secretary, Shri Rajiv Gauba said that legal and institutional systems in place for disaster management should be further strengthened. He said that our climatic conditions and density of population make us prone to disasters. He added that 2% of GDP is lost due to disasters. Shri Gauba said that now there is a paradigm shift from relief-centric approach to holistic approach towards disasters. Speaking on the theme of ‘School safety’, he said that lot of school infrastructure is lost in disasters and education services also get affected in post-disaster phase. Children become more vulnerable, so special care and attention needs to be given to them, he added.

The Secretary, Department of School Education & Literacy, Shri Anil Swarup said that implementation of the laws and regulations on ground is very important. He also said that the department will extend all support in the efforts of NDMA for school safety.

On the occasion, Shri R. K. Jain, Member, NDMA highlighted the activities undertaken by NDMA during the last one year since the last formation day. He said that in November last year, India had hosted the Asian Ministerial Conference for Disaster Risk Reduction (AMCDRR) in New Delhi which was first such conference after Sendai framework. He said that New Delhi Declaration, Asian Regional Plan were adopted during the AMCDRR, 2016. He also said that second meeting of the National Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction was held in New Delhi in May this year. He also informed that India is hosting first ‘BIMSTEC Disaster Management Exercise- 2017’ from 10th-13th October this year. He highlighted India’s efforts in conducting joint exercise by SAARC nations (SAADMEx) to respond to simulated disaster situations, urban flooding and cyclones. He also said that a comprehensive plan to mitigate the effects of earthquake and landslides is also being formed.

During the event, a message of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi was also presented to the participants.

On the occasion, the Union Home Minster also released National Disaster Management Guidelines on Boat Safety and Cultural Heritage Sites & Precincts. A study report on “Tamil Nadu floods: Lessons learnt and best practices’’ was also released by Shri Rajnath Singh.

During the event, the stakeholders are discussing the roadmap, their roles and key challenges in the implementation of the School Safety Policy across the country. States are sharing their experiences in terms of best practices and lessons learnt through their efforts towards school safety initiatives.

11-May-2022: Union Environment Minister delivers the National Statement at the 15th Session of the Conference of Parties of UNCCD

Union Minister, for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Bhupender Yadav delivered National Statement at the 15th Session of the Conference of Parties of UNCCD today. He was addressing the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) Conference of Parties at its fifteenth session in Cote d'Ivoire.

The Minister stated that several global developments indicate renewed and stronger resolve that provide direct and indirect support to the objectives of UNCCD, such as the launch of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030) that aims at halting and reversing ecosystem degradation and loss. The importance placed on increasing area, connectivity and integrity of natural ecosystems in the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. It is timely that at this COP, we call for action to ensure that land is sustainably managed and continues to benefit present and future generations.

Emphasizing that Land plays a fundamental and cross-cutting role in achieving several of the Sustainable Development Goals. Meeting SDGs goals can help accelerate tree cover, soil conservation and transition towards sustainable agriculture production. Land restoration is one of the proven strategies that can put us on a pathway to green recovery. It can create jobs, uplift rural communities, and deliver significant co-benefits for human health, biodiversity, and adaptation to climate change.

“We will need to appropriately align our policies and institutions such that they contribute towards the restoration of landscapes and its productivity.  It is critical to ensure the flow of public finance into natural resource management to halt the deteriorating state of the environment. Our programs and initiatives will not see fruition without the means of implementation necessary to support them.” said Shri Yadav

The Minister further emphasized that our recovery process needs to awaken change at the individual level by changing our consumption habits, without which we will continue to put tremendous pressures on land.

The three conventions on climate change, biodiversity and combating desertification are all linked by the high consumption lifestyle of a global minority among countries. And urgently reducing their profligate emissions is key to the success of all these three conventions.

During India’s Presidency, the Minister gladly reported that the Bureau has successfully convened seven high-level meetings that witnessed vibrant discussions and led to decisions on:

• Leveraging multilateral platforms on the road to Rio+ 30.
• Scheduling of the Fifteenth session of Conference of Parties (COP-15) at Cote d’Ivoire in May 2022.
• The deliberations in the Intergovernmental Working Group (IWG) on Drought.

Report of the Committee on Science and Technology (CST) Committee for Review of the Implementation of the Convention (CRIC-19). Two extra-ordinary sessions to deliberate on the interim budget for 2022 and recommend the unanimously agreed extension of term of the Executive Secretary, UNCCD.

Further informing about the significant actions on addition, during this period G-20 leaders have recognized the importance of combating land degradation and creating new carbon sinks with an aspirational goal to collectively plant 1 trillion trees, urging other countries to join forces with G20 to reach this global goal by 2030.  A High-level Dialogue of United Nations General Assembly was held on 14th June 2021 on Desertification, Land Degradation and Drought, where Shri Narendra Modi Ji, Hon’ble Prime Minister of India highlighted the success stories and initiatives taken by India to combat land degradation, he added .

Shri Yadav expressed that for the first time, an Intergovernmental Working Group (IWG) on effective policy and implementation measures for addressing drought under the United Nations Convention for Combating Desertification (UNCCD) was established by decision 23/COP.14. A draft report has been prepared and will be discussed during COP-15.

Shri Yadav concluded by remarking  that India held the 14th COP in Delhi in 2019 as a part of its commitment to the global community and our commitment to the fundamental objectives of this Convention. Subsequently it also held the presidency during the difficult Covid 19 pandemic times, he said.

"The world has now chosen Abidjan as the site to begin the next step of our journey, to carry forward this important task. We pass on this responsibility to our hosts, the Republic of Cote d’Ivoire, knowing that you will undertake the task at hand with deft and zeal. We repose our faith in you to guide the global community to tread on the path of sustainability with care and respect for Mother Earth" , Shri Bhupender Yadav said.

10-May-2022: Union Minister Shri Bhupender Yadav addresses United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) Conference of Parties at its fifteenth session in Cote d'Ivoire

Stating that taking care of the land that sustains us can help the fight against global warming, the Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Bhupender Yadav, today pitched for promoting lifestyles for environment. The Union Minister was addressing the opening plenary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) Conference of Parties at its fifteenth session in Cote d'Ivoire.

Noting strongly that despite the declining condition of land, the World continues to go on with consumerism driven lifestyles and still expect our lands to keep giving, Shri Yadav said “It is imperative that we collectively move away from a consumption-oriented approach. The mindset of use and throw is deleterious for the planet”.

Speaking on the effect of Global warming on land Shri Yadav stated that protecting both people and the planet will not be possible without the developed countries taking the lead in drastic emissions reduction, as their responsibility for global warming is the highest both historically and in the present.

Speaking on the effects of the COVID pandemic, the Indian Environment Minister stated that it has compounded the challenge of fighting global warming as economic pressures have delayed or slowed climate action across the world, but at the same pointed out the finding of the IPCC Report of the Third Working Group, about the world exhausting its remaining carbon budget at a rapid pace, pushing us closer to the temperature limits of the Paris Agreement.

Speaking on India’s presidency of the COP since 2019, Shri Yadav informed that during the COP Presidency under the visionary leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, India has made significant progress in its commitment to restore 26 million hectares of degraded land by 2030, stating that major initiatives have been launched and existing programmes strengthened in meeting our Land Degradation Neutrality targets.

The Minister further stated that India has enhanced monitoring the health of its soils through the Soil Health Card Programme implemented throughout the country. “Over 229 million Soil Health Cards have been issued to farmers between 2015 and 2019 and this program has led to a decline of 8-10% in the use of chemical fertilizers and also raised productivity by 5-6%.”, said Shri Yadav

Further informing about the significant actions done under India’s presidency, Shri Yadav said that following the global call for the submission of nominations for World Restoration Flagships, the Government of India endorsed six restoration flagships that target the restoration of 12.5 million hectares of degraded lands.

“I would like to point out that India’s rural livelihood programmes have an underlying ethos of natural resource conservation and restoration. In recovering from the pandemic, we have used our livelihood programmes extensively to work towards land restoration.  Building forward better and greener communities, especially for vulnerable groups, will have to be at the heart of the restoration agenda.”, stated the current COP president

Emphasizing that landscape restoration is more than planting trees, Shri Yadav said that it becomes essential that we recognize the power of local and indigenous knowledge with the close assistance of science and technology and must integrate community needs, priorities and expertise in all parts of the process.

Concluding the statement, Shri Yadav expressed hope that the collective commitments are transformed into action by all countries, and public, private and civil society actors, significantly increasing resources to address the global challenge of containing land degradation, and assured India’s continued support and readiness to contribute to the positive outcome of this conference.

The fifteenth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP15) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) at Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, from 9 to 20 May 2022, will bring together leaders from governments, the private sector, civil society and other key stakeholders from around the world to drive progress in the future sustainable management of land and will explore links between land and other key sustainability issues.

These issues will be discussed during the high-level segment, including a Heads of States Summit, high-level roundtables and interactive dialogue sessions, as well as numerous other special and side events. ​

Drought, land restoration, and related enablers such as land rights, gender equality and youth empowerment are among the top items on the Conference agenda. Through its decisions adopted by UNCCD’s 197 Parties, COP15 is expected to galvanize sustainable solutions for land restoration and drought resilience, with a strong focus on future-proofing land use.

4-Apr-2022: Concept of Familial Forestry

Land for Life is an award programme of United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), which is conferred every two years. The Land for Life Award  aims to provide global recognition to individuals and organizations whose work and initiatives have made a significant contribution to sustainable development through sustainable land management (SLM).Land for life Award 2021 was conferred to the Familial Forestry of Rajasthan, India, by UNCCD on 17th June 2021.

Familial Forestry means caring for the tree as a family member so that the tree becomes a part of the family’s consciousness. This movement involved more than a million families from more than 15,000 villages of desert-prone northwest Rajasthan. About 2.5 million saplings have been planted in the past 15 years, with active participation of students and desert dwellers, as per UNCCD.

While conferring the award, UNCCD has stated that, Familial Forestry of Rajasthan, India is a unique concept that relates a tree with a family, making it a green "family member”.  This green or eco socialization brings environmental sensitivity and empowerment.

The Government has various schemes relating to afforestation/plantation leading to combating desertification and land degradation depending on the climatic and geographical condition of that particular area including schemes of MOEFCC  under Twenty Point Programme (TPP) like National Afforestation Programme (NAP), National Mission for a Green India (GIM) etc.

17-Jun-2021: Government releases Desertification and Land Degradation Atlas of India

Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Babul Supriyo today called for generating awareness towards preventing and restoring land degradation for healthier and sustainable ecosystems. Speaking at a virtual event celebration of the Desertification and Drought Day, Shri Supriyo said, this will help better economy and overall human wellbeing.

The Desertification and Drought day was commemorated by the Ministry, with an aim to generate large scale awareness towards understanding the key role of land in all environmental and economic concerns, that world, as well as India is facing now-a days.

On the occasion, the Minister of State released the latest version of “Desertification and Land Degradation Atlas of India. It has been published by Space Application Centre, ISRO, Ahmedabad. The Atlas provides state wise area of degraded lands for the time frame 2018-19. It also provides the change analysis for the duration of 15 years, from 2003-05 to 2018-19.

Secretary in the Ministry Shri RP Gupta said, the salient findings of this Atlas are not only useful as a ready reference, but, will also be helpful in strengthening the envisaged National Action Plan for achieving land restoration targets by providing important baseline and temporal data and technical inputs.

The secretary further stated that the salient findings of this Atlas are not only useful as a ready reference, but, will also be helpful in strengthening the envisaged National Action Plan for achieving land restoration targets by providing important baseline and temporal data and technical inputs.

The event also observed release of Coffee Table Book “India Hosting UNCCD-COP 14” and a short film on UNCCD-COP 14. The commemoration of this event encourages individuals and groups to take initiatives that can keep the land healthy and productive.

India hosted the 14th session of Conference of Parties (COP 14) of United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in September 2019. India is striving towards achieving the national commitments of Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) and restoration of 26 Million ha of degraded land by 2030 which focus on sustainable and optimum utilisation of land resources.

India has been at the forefront of bringing the issue of land degradation to the core of relevant international alliances for protection and conservation of environment. The government of India has adopted collective approach for making progress towards achieving the national commitments related to land restoration.

14-Jun-2021: PM delivers keynote address at the UN 'High-Level Dialogue on Desertification, Land degradation and Drought'

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi delivered a keynote address at the UN “High-Level Dialogue on Desertification, Land Degradation and Drought” today via video conference.  The Prime Minister spoke at the Opening Segment in his capacity as the President of the 14th Session of the Conference of Parties of United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).

Terming land as the fundamental building block for supporting all lives and livelihoods, Shri Modi called for reduction of the tremendous pressure on land and its resources. “Clearly, a lot of work lies ahead of us. But we can do it. We can do it together,” said the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister listed steps taken by India to deal with the land degradation issue. He said that India has taken the lead to highlight land degradation issues at international forums. The Delhi Declaration of 2019 called for better access and stewardship over land, and emphasised gender-sensitive transformative projects. In India, over the last 10 years, around 3 million hectares of forest cover has been added. This has enhanced the combined forest cover to almost one-fourth of the country's total area, the Prime Minister informed.

Shri Modi conveyed that India is on track to achieve its national commitment of Land degradation neutrality. “We are also working towards restoring 26 million hectares of degraded land by 2030. This would contribute to India's commitment to achieve an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent”, said the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister gave example of the Banni region in Rann of Kutch in Gujarat to illustrate how restoration of land can start a virtuous cycle of good soil health, increased land productivity, food security and improved livelihoods. In Banni region, land restoration was done by developing grasslands, which helped in achieving land degradation neutrality.  It also supports pastoral activities and livelihood by promoting animal husbandry. “In the same spirit, we need to devise effective strategies for land restoration while promoting indigenous techniques”, the Prime Minister stressed.

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 India to promote a scientific approach towards land degradation issues, informed the Prime Minister. “It is mankind's collective responsibility to reverse the damage to land caused by human activity. It is our sacred duty to leave a healthy planet for our future generations”, the Prime Minister concluded.

10-Sep-2019: Snow leopards, cultural codes can help prevent land degradation in Himalayas

Conservation of snow leopards and preservation of people’s cultural values can prevent land degradation of the Himalayan ecosystem, said experts at the ongoing 14th Conference of Parties of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).  

“The snow leopard is the apex predator in the region. Saving it will mean that we will need to save the prey base of herbivores too and to save the prey base will mean preserving the grassland that they feed on. This will automatically lead to the prevention of land degradation,” said Savita, principle chief conservator of forest, Himachal Pradesh.

Snow leopards are currently found in only 12 countries in the world, including India. It’s important to create alternative livelihoods for people dependent on the ecosystem. So there’s a need to conserve snow leopards with a landscape approach that doesn’t restrict itself to a particular protected area.

We can only save the ecosystem if we provide sustainable, alternative livelihoods for people. This can only be done though joint consultation and decentralised management of this ecosystem. Moreover, the experts also discussed how the cultural practices of communities in the Himalayan areas promote conservation.

There are many sacred groves, water bodies, forests in the region where not only resource extraction, but also access is restricted. This helps in conserving nature through a self-checking mechanism of cultural codes of the community. However, rapid outmigration of people from villages in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand resulted in erosion of these cultures codes.

Around two billion hectares of productive land has already degraded worldwide and every year around 12 million hectares falls prey to desertification, according to the UNCCD.

27-Apr-2018: Environment Ministry, UNCCD conclude capacity building workshop on monitoring and reporting on land degradation for Asia-Pacific Region

The four-day Asia Pacific Regional Workshop of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), jointly hosted by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) and UNCCD Secretariat, to build the capacity of the Asia-Pacific Region to monitor and report on land degradation, concluded.

The workshop will enable country Parties to participate effectively and efficiently in the UNCCD reporting process, to submit the national report in time and in particular for Target 15.3 on Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN). He added that the workshop has not only provided a diverse and multi-disciplinary knowledge sharing platform addressing desertification, land degradation and drought (DLDD) issues, but also provided an opportunity to bring all key stakeholders from Asia to India and discuss key aspects of Reporting, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN). The Secretary also lauded the UNCCD experts for their endeavour to take up issues, concerns and challenges of different country parties, while reporting to the UNCCD Secretariat. 

In his remarks, Deputy Executive Secretary UNCCD, Dr. Pradeep Monga, highlighted the importance of addressing land degradation, desertification and drought for developing countries including India. He commended India for its leadership role in supporting the Convention and putting land agenda at the core of SDGs.

The targets under the Convention can be achieved through carbon sequestration and preventing soil erosion by enriching forests.

Earlier this week, Union Minister of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MOEFCC) and Chair of the workshop’s inaugural session, Dr. Harsh Vardhan, had highlighted the Government’s commitment to the land agenda and also released the report on Study of Economics of Desertification, Land Degradation and Drought (EDLDD) conducted by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and commissioned by MoEFCC. The report has highlighted that Desertification, Land Degradation and Drought (DLDD) factors had cost India about 2.54% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2014-15.  Pointing out that globally, drylands lose 23 hectares per minute to drought and desertification, the Minister had pointed out that this translated into a loss of 20 million tonnes of potential food grain production in a year. Referring to various schemes of the Government that have been launched for capacity-building of the stakeholders at multiple levels, Dr. Harsh Vardhan had mentioned some of the schemes including - Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), National Food Security Mission (NFSM), Soil Health Card Scheme, Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PKSY), Per Drop More Crop, Swachh Bharat mission, Har Khet Ko Pani (HKKP) and National Rural Drinking Water Programme.

The four-day Workshop (April 24-27, 2018) trained the participants in the use of an innovative land degradation monitoring tool by Conservation International, for the reporting process of UNCCD. This can significantly increase access to large amounts of Earth observation data and make it available in a comprehensible form for decision-makers at national and state level, thereby contributing to achieving the objectives underlined in the Convention. The training also focused on the use of new data and methods to estimate the extent and severity of land degradation, and shed light on the declining condition of India’s land resources and its impact on livelihoods. The data presented in the land degradation Tool will be used for reporting to the UNCCD and as part of the indicator framework for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Participants included delegates from about 40 Asia Pacific countries, as well as representatives from 12 Indian states affected by land degradation, scientists and researchers from scientific institutions of national importance and line-Ministries.   The participants were trained in the use of the state-of-the-art tool called ‘Trends. Earth’ developed by Conservation International, an NGO. The loss of productivity in both natural and managed ecosystems has serious ramifications for food security and nutrition, water availability and employment. Knowing where hotspots or problem areas are, is the first step ahead towards combating land degradation. With this data, policy-makers can prioritize areas for interventions to improve the livelihoods in rural communities that directly depend on healthy land.

The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is the only legally binding international agreement on land issues. The Convention promotes good land stewardship. Its 197 Parties aim, through partnerships, to implement the Convention and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. The end goal is to protect land from over-use and drought, so it can continue to provide food, water and energy. By sustainably managing land and striving to achieve Land Degradation Neutrality, now and in the future, not only will the impact of climate change be reduced, but a conflict over natural resources will be avoided.  

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change is the nodal Ministry for this Convention, as well as the other two Rio Conventions - United Nations Framework Convention to Combat Climate Change and the Convention on Biological  Diversity, having their genesis in the Earth Summit in 1992 in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.