Lok Sabha Question No. 943 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-11-22
Subject: United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Ganesan Selvam, Sandhya Ray, Rebati Tripura, Dhanush M Kumar, Vijay Kumar Dubey, Mohanbhai Kalyanji Kundariya

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 943

TO BE ANSWERED ON 22.11.2019

## United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification

943. SHRI SELVAM G.:

SHRIMATI SANDHYA RAY:

SHRI REBATI TRIPURA:

SHRI DHANUSH M. KUMAR:

SHRI VIJAY KUMAR DUBEY:

SHRI MOHANBHAI KALYANJI KUNDARIYA:

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

- (a) whether India hosted 14 th meeting of Conference of Parties to United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP 14);
- (b) if so, the details thereof along with the agenda of the summit;
- (c) the total number of delegates from different countries participated in the summit;
- (d) the issues discussed and the outcome of the summit including the benefits for India as a result;
- (e) whether the Government has been able to achieve the target of restoring land which are degraded in the country; and
- (f) if so, the details thereof along with the other corrective steps taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI BABUL SUPRIYO)

- (a) Yes sir.
- (b) The 14 th session of the Conference of Parties (COP 14) to United Nations Convention to Combat  Desertification  (UNCCD  COP  14)  was  hosted  by  Ministry  of  Environment, Forest  and  Climate  Change  (MoEFCC),  Government  of  India.  at  India  Expo  Mart Limited,  Greater  Noida  from  2 nd to  13 th September  2019.  India  is  now  Conference  of Parties (COP 14) President for the next two years (2019-2021). The fourteenth session of the Conference of Parties (COP 14) comprised of the fourteenth meeting of Committee on Science and Technology (CST 14) (agenda annexed at Ia ), eighteenth meeting of the

Committee  to  Review  the  Implementation  of  the  Convention  (CRIC  18)  (agenda annexed at Ib ) and

- (c) fourteenth meeting of the Conference of Parties  (COP 14) (agenda annexed at Ic )  for your reference.
- (d) About  5759  delegates  from  different  countries  including  India  participated  in  the Conference of Parties (COP 14) summit.
- (e) The Conference of Parties (COP 14) had several deliberations and adopted 35 decisions, including on how to implement thematic policy frameworks addressing land degradation, drought,  gender,  sand  and  dust  storms,  desertification,  involvement  of  private  sector, migration and land tenure. The Hon'ble Prime Minister made the following announcements among others:
- i. Setting  up  a  Centre  for  Excellence  in  India  at  the  Indian  Council  for  Forest Research  and  Education  (ICFRE)  Dehradun  for  enhanced  South-South  Cooperation that aims to share India's expertise of sustainable land management strategies with other developing countries;
- ii. Raise  India's  ambition  of  the  total  area  that  would  be  restored  from  its  land degradation status, from 21 million hectares (stated as Bonn Challenge target) to 26 million hectares between now and 2030;
- iii. India's expertise may offer resources in space and remote sensing technology can be offered to member countries who wish to manage their land degradation programmes through cutting-edge technology.
- (f) India has committed to achieve land degradation neutrality status by 2030. As mentioned above, India announced that it will raise its ambition to restore degraded land from 21 million hectares (mha) to 26 mha by 2030.

***

## Annexure Ia

|   S. No. | Important agenda items - Committee on Science and Technology                                                                                                   |
|----------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|        1 | Policy-oriented recommendations resulting from guidance for the implementation of land degradation neutrality.                                                 |
|        2 | Policy-oriented recommendations resulting from guidance for the adoption and implementation of land-based interventions for drought management and mitigation. |
|        3 | Policy-oriented recommendations resulting from the cooperation with other intergovernmental scientific panels and bodies.                                      |
|        4 | Interfacing science and policy: The Science-Policy Interface, the dissemination and accessibility of best practices.                                           |
|        5 | Outcomes of the work of the Committee on Science and Technology on a monitoring framework for the strategic objective on drought.                              |

## Annexure Ib

|   S. No. | Important agenda items - Committee to Review the Implementation of the Convention                                     |
|----------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|        1 | Outcomes of the Committee on Science and Technology on a monitoring framework for the strategic objective on drought. |
|        2 | Update on the Global Support Programme (GSP) in support of UNCCD reporting.                                           |
|        3 | Progress made on mobilization of resources for the implementation of the Convention Parties.                          |
|        4 | Promotion of capacity building to further the implementation of the Convention.                                       |

## Annexure Ic

|   S. No. | Important agenda items - Conference of Parties                                                                                                                                                                                                                    |
|----------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|        1 | Integration of the Sustainable Development Goal 15 and related target 15.3 into the implementation of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification and the Land Degradation Neutrality.                                                                |
|        2 | Midterm evaluation of the UNCCD 2018-2030 Strategic Framework.                                                                                                                                                                                                    |
|        3 | Progress in the implementation of the UNCCD communication plan and on the United Nations Decade for Deserts and the Fight against Desertification (2010-2020).                                                                                                    |
|        4 | Promotion and strengthening of relationships with other relevant conventions and international organizations, institutions and agencies.                                                                                                                          |
|        5 | Participation and involvement of civil society organizations in meetings and processes of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification.                                                                                                                |
|        6 | Participation and involvement of the private sector in meetings and processes of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification.                                                                                                                         |
|        7 | Follow-up on policy frameworks and thematic issues: Drought, Sand and Dust Storms and Gender.                                                                                                                                                                     |
|        8 | Addressing desertification/land degradation and drought as one of the drivers that causes migration.                                                                                                                                                              |
|        9 | New and emerging issues - 'Land tenure'                                                                                                                                                                                                                           |
|       10 | Special segment includes roundtables on land, climate and renewable energy; rural and urban communities, ecosystem restoration and interactive dialogues on land stewardship; healthy land - healthy people and sustainable value chains for land-based business. |