Context:
UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) launched first data dashboard compiling national figures from 126 countries recently.
- It shows that land degradation is advancing at an astonishing rate across all regions.
Key findings:
- Between 2015 – 2019, at least 100 million hectares of healthy and productive land were degraded every year.
- India’s 9.45% reported land area is degraded.
- Between 2016 – 2019, 50.49% of global reported land area and 36.8% of India’s land area is affected by drought.
- Most severe degradation – Eastern and Central Asia, and Latin America and Caribbean regions
What is LDN?
- LDN: A state whereby the amount and quality of land resources, necessary to support ecosystem functions and services and enhance food security, remains stable or increases within specified temporal and spatial scales and ecosystems.
- 109 countries have set voluntary Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) targets for 2030.
India’s Initiative for Land Degradation:
- Bonn Challenge pledge: India is striving towards achieving the national commitments of Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) and restoration of 26 Mha of degraded land by 2030.
- Desertification and Land Degradation Atlas of India (published by ISRO), for state-wise areas of degraded land.
UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD):
- Established in 1994.
- It is the sole legally binding international agreement linking environment and development to sustainable land management.
- Members: 197 Parties to Convention, including 196 country Parties and European Union.
- India is a signatory to UNCCD.
- Nodal Ministry for implementation in India – Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
Source: Down to Earth
Previous Year Question
What is/are the importance/importances of the ‘United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification’?
1. It aims to promote effective action through innovative national programmes and supportive international partnerships.
2. It has a special/particular focus on South Asia and North Africa regions, and its Secretariat facilitates the allocation of major portion of financial resources to these regions.
3. It is committed to bottom-up approach, encouraging the participation of local people in combating the desertification.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
[UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2016 Prelims]
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (c)
