Lok Sabha Question No. 6583 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-04-06
Subject: Land Degradation Neutrality
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: HARI BABU KAMBHAMPATI

## GOVERNMEMNT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.6583

TO BE ANSWERED ON 06.04.2018

## Land Degradation Neutrality

## 6583. DR. KAMBHAMPATI HARIBABU:

Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to State:

- (a) Whether India has committed to land degradation neutrality by 2030;
- (b) If so, the details thereof along with the resolution adopted in2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development;
- (c) the measures taken by the Government for land degradation neutrality; and
- (d) the manner in which land degradation neutrality will benefit the farmers as well as the habitants of the country?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (DR. MAHESH SHARMA)

(a) Yes,  Madam.  India  became  a  signatory  to  the  United  Nations  Convention  to  Combat Desertification  (UNCCD)  on  14  October  1994  and  ratified  it  on  17  December  1996.  The Ministry  of  Environment, Forest and Climate  Change  is  the nodal ministry in the Government  of  India  for  UNCCD  and  Desertification  Cell  is  the  nodal  point  within  the ministry  to  coordinate  all  issues  pertaining  to  the  Convention.The  Hon'ble  Minister, MoEF&CC, on the occasion of World Day to Combat Desertification on 17 June 2014, had announced  India's  commitment  to  work  towards  achieving  Land  Degradation  Neutrality (LDN)  by  2030,  with  the  cooperation  and  synchronized  efforts  of  other  relevant  lineMinistries. LDN 2030 is also Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)-Target 15.3 out of the seventeen SDG goals.

(b) In  the  Thirteenth  session  of  Conference  of  Parties  (COP-13)  India  has  expressed  its intention  to  join  the  Global  Mechanism's  Land  Degradation  Neutrality  Target  Setting Programme  (LDN-TSP)  to  achieve  land  degradation  neutrality  by  2030which  is  also Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)-Target 15.3

(c) The  following  measures  have  been  taken  by  the  Government  for  land  degradation neutrality:

- (i) Desertification and Land Degradation Atlas of India, was first prepared in 2007 covering Desertification and Land Degradation (DLD) Status of India of 2003-05 time  period,  by  the  Space  Applications  Centre  in  collaboration  with  MoEFCC. This was followed by another Atlas published in 2016 covering the years 201113.  The  Atlases  presented  Desertification  and  Land  Degradation  (DLD)  Status Maps depicting Land Use, Process of Degradation and Severity Level along with area statistics consolidated for entire country as well state-wise.
- (ii) A study was commissioned on "Economic of Desertification, Land Degradation and Drought in India (EDLDD)" which has quantified and projected the cost of land degradation in India through macro and micro economic analysis including a comprehensive analysis of existing programmes and schemes related to Desertification, Land Degradation and Drought (DLDD) issues.
- (iii) The  Ministry  has  partnered  with  the  Global  Environmental  Facility  (GEF)  to execute a joint project on 'Policy and Institutional Reform for Mainstreaming and Up-scaling  Sustainable  Land  and  Ecosystem  Management  (SLEM)  in  India' following  a  bottom  up  approach.The  study  was  carried  out  for  enhancing  the institutional and policy framework for harmonization, coordination and monitoring of interventions in agricultural and natural resources management and a book was published on best practices of SLEM in 2014.
- (iv) In  line  with  Sustainable  Development  Goal  15.3,  the  Government  is  targeting Land  Degradation  Neutrality  by  2030,  involving  all  stakeholders  from  lineMinistries like Ministry of Rural Development, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Water Resources, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Ministry of statistics, etc. The line-Ministries are continuing their efforts at  efficient  utilization  and  conservation  of  land  and  water  resources  through  a number of programmes/schemes on watershed management, rainwater conservation,  afforestation  under  schemes  like  Mahatma  Gandhi National Rural Employment  Guarantee  Act  (MGNREGA),  National  Food  Security  Mission (NFSM),  Soil  Health  Card  Scheme,  Pradhanmantri  Krishi  Sinchayee  Yojna (PKSY), Per Drop More Crop, Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana, DeenDayalAntyodayaYojana-  National  Rural  Livelihood  Mission    (NRLM), DeenDayalUpadhyayaGrameenKaushalyaYojana  (DDU-GKY),  HarKhetKoPani (HKKP), Scheme of Artificial Recharge of Ground Water through Dug well, etc.
- (d) Achieving  Land  Degradation  Neutrality  by  2030  though  sustainable-development projects  will  provide  environmental  benefits,  socio-economic  benefits  and  financial returns  to  farmers,  by  stabilizing  land  degradation,  improving  soil  quality,  increasing productivity and improving livelihood conditions. This also aims to generate revenues from  sustainable  use  of  natural  resources,  creating  green  job  opportunities  for  local communities,  increasing  food  and  water  security  and  sequestering  carbon  dioxide (CO2).

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