India's Efforts in Land Restoration and Drought Resilience Highlighted at UNCCD CoP16
At the Ministerial Dialogue on Finance at the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) CoP16 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav emphasized the crucial role of finance in effectively implementing policies and programs related to land restoration and drought resilience.
Yadav highlighted the importance of the World Drought Atlas, released the previous day, which emphasizes the risks associated with drought and the need for national plans and international cooperation. He stated that the document can serve as a guide for planning, mobilizing resources, and finding solutions for additional resources.
The Minister acknowledged land degradation as a major issue requiring more attention and outlined India's efforts to leverage public finance mechanisms for restoring degraded lands. He mentioned various public and privately funded initiatives with active community participation that have received financial support from the government.
Yadav noted India's promotion of micro-finance facilities for farmers engaged in sustainable agriculture through Regional Rural Banks and other financial institutions. He also mentioned India's target of restoring 26 million hectares of degraded land by 2030, of which over 22.5 million hectares have already been achieved.
As part of these efforts, India launched the Green Credit Programme, which identifies and restores degraded land parcels with financial support from various entities, including industries. Additionally, the Green India Mission, implemented at the national level through collaboration across various sectors in all states, adopts a landscape-based approach for eco-restoration of degraded lands. However, the Minister emphasized the need for additional resources to intensify these efforts.
Yadav also highlighted India's advocacy for adopting environmentally friendly lifestyles and utilizing traditional knowledge. He stressed the paramount importance of collaboration between governments and industries to identify zones and partner with each other to achieve land restoration and drought resilience goals through resource mobilization.