In the latest UN ‘High-Level Dialogue on Desertification, Land Degradation and Drought‘, Prime Minister Modi assured the World of India’s efforts to restore 26 million hectares of degraded land by 2030.
Through this restoration, India is making meaningful strides to “contribute to India’s commitment to achieve an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tons of Carbon-di-oxide equivalent.”
He spoke while presiding the 14th session of the Conference of Parties on the UN Convention to Combat Desertification. Currently, India has acquired the presidency of this UN panel.
He emphasized on the importance India gives to its land and consequently added around three million hectares of forest cover.
“Land is the fundamental building block for supporting all lives and livelihoods. And, all of us understand that the web of life functions as an interconnected system. Sadly, land degradation affects over two-thirds of the world today.”
“If left unchecked, it will erode the very foundations of our societies, economies, food security, health, safety and quality of life. Therefore, we have to reduce the tremendous pressure on land and its resources. Clearly, a lot of work lies ahead of us. But we can do it.’’
“This has enhanced the combined forest cover to almost one-fourth of the country’s total area,” he remarked.
His address focused on the importance of land preservation:
“We believe that restoration of land can start a cycle for good soil health, increased land productivity, food security and improved livelihoods. 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.”
PM also announced the setting up a Centre of Excellence to foster and inculcate a scientific approach in land degradation issues across the country.
The meeting also witnessed other leaders speaking their hearts out for the planet, UN Deputy Secretary General said: “We are facing a triple planetary crises of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution, and land is at the center of all three.”
UNCCD Executive Secretary explains: “Put simply, a land-centered approach to Covid-19 recovery can change the world. So far, the world’s largest economies have already spent $16 trillion in post-covid recovery efforts.”
Four priorities are to be set for better resilience and revival of the world’s economy this year:
Raise ambition on land restoration.
Aim to end illegal deforestation
Investment in land-based solutions to sustain Covid-19 recovery efforts
Efficiently tackle the climate crisis together
“Investing a fifth of that amount, collectively, per year, could shift the world’s economies to a sustainability trajectory. Within a decade, the global economy could create close to 400 million new green jobs, generating over $10 trillion in annual business value.”
Land degradation, desertification and ecosystem damage: A connected disaster story
Desertification is born out of severe land degradation, a process that creates arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas. Human activities and over-arching climatic factors cause soil erosion, soil function interruption and the loss of natural vegetation, finally snatching people’s right to use their land efficiently and limiting their access to resources.
This can trigger societal tensions and force migrations as rural livelihoods and incomes dwindle after a while.
Experts have estimated that if the problem persists, land degradation and desertification may topple 3.2 billion lives by 2050 with approximately 700 million to migrate by 2050. Out of this number, 1.2 billion people are from the developing countries due to poor governance and climate stress clinging the inadequate policies.
Causes: over-cultivation, over-grazing, insufficient crop rotations and the overuse of agrochemicals, even global food systems (25-30 per cent of all GHGs).
India’s approach to land-degradation is not new:
India is a signatory to the UNCCD which, adopted in 1994, is the sole legally binding international agreement associating environment with development to sustainable land management.
It is one of those 70 countries who have pledged for sustainable land use and attain degradation neutrality by 2030 as a part of the Convention’s Land Degradation Neutrality Strategy.
“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 emphasized gender-sensitive transformative projects.’’
Under UNCCD, the fourteenth Convention of the Parties (COP14) framed the New Delhi Declaration in 2019 and brought together political representatives of 196 countries, scientists, private businesses, industry leaders and non-profit organizations to discuss actions for sustainable development in this regard.
Why India shall be concerned: Indian Agriculture and food security can be worst hits
With 18 per cent of the global population, only 2.4% of the world’s land mass of which 30% is degraded and more than half of its population dependent on Agriculture and allied operations, India shall be most concerned.
According to FutureDirections organization: “Under this scenario, India will lose US$1,177.8 billion ($1,730 billion) by 2050 as a result of climate change. In 2014-15 land degradation, and the associated reduction in productivity, reduced Indian GDP growth by 2.5% – which is equal to about US$50 billion ($73.4 billion).”
On the top of this mess, India’s land productivity is going down with food demand likely growing at two to three per cent until 2025, with demand outpacing supply by 2035. Plus, wastage at rate of 30 per cent of the food produced annually is exacerbating the situation.
REDD+ A possible escape from reality?
Deforestation and forest degradation alone account for nearly 11 percent of carbon emissions, way more than the emissions from transportation sector.
Earth is past the time when only prevention can help, we need to begin adapting to already falling changes in human world in order to survive.
Firstly, REDD only assured minimizing deforestation but REDD+ guaranteed our existing forests to remain standing and increasing carbon stocks. Therefore, it acts as a positive reinforcement to consolidate the targets achieved through limiting Nature-hurting operations.
Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) is a mechanism under United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to create a financial value for the quantum of carbon stored in forests worldwide.
It does this by offering incentives for developing countries to reduce emissions from forested lands, approach lesser deforestation and invest in low-carbon paths to sustainable development.
How is India addressing this building crisis?
Indian government has funded a number of organizations working to restore land productivity across the country. A few are testing the adaptive opportunities for rural communities to respond to climate change against its risk.
Climate Information Centers (CLICs), a platform has been created to alter farming practices through information and communication technology, traditional and scientific weather knowledge and local rainfall measurements.
International Fund for Agriculture Development’s Drought Mitigation Project has been created and India is working to restore 13 million hectares of degraded and deforested land by 2020 in addition to a further eight million by 2030.
But there has been a recent troubling trend as 506 infrastructure sites have been approved for insensitive development within India’s Protected Areas and “Eco-Sensitive Zones” as these protected areas are responsible for storing 15 per cent of global land carbon.
What shall be done more to create a change?
But India needs to understand that nothing can be achieved without improving living standards of the downtrodden, increasing educational attainment for all, reducing water stress and providing alternative job-opportunities to agriculture-associated population.
A number of reforms in Indian agricultural fabric are required to penetrate sustainability within: protection of biodiverse wetlands, rangelands and mangroves to create enough carbon sinks, minimal use of fertilizers, using efficient agricultural techniques like Drip-Irrigation etc. is desirable.
The World needs to come together against desertification. All of us have heard how green flourishing civilizations of the world have vanished due to shrinking rivers and cultivable lands turning into wastelands and deserts.
We know that today is not yesterday but we are certain that Mother nature, when infuriated, spares none. Pope Francis has rightly said about us: “I think a question that we’re not asking ourselves is: ‘Isn’t humanity committing suicide with this indiscriminate and tyrannical use of nature?”