Lok Sabha Question No. 1866 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-11-29
Subject: Land Degradation Neutrality Programme
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Raja Amareshwara Naik, Sangeeta Kumari Singh Deo, Bhola Singh, V. Kalanidhi, Andimuthu Raja, S. Ramalingam, Sukanta Majumdar

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1866

TO BE ANSWER ON 29.11.2019

## Land Degradation Neutrality Programme

1866.  SHRI RAJA AMARESHWARA NAIK:

SHRIMATI SANGEETA KUMARI SINGH DEO:

SHRI BHOLA SINGH:

DR. KALANIDHI VEERASWAMY:

SHRI A. RAJA:

SHRI RAMALINGAM S.:

DR. SUKANTA MAJUMDAR:

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

- (a) the  details  of  the  Land  Degradation  Neutrality  programme  along  with  the  funds sanctioned, allocated and utilized under the programme during the last three years and the current year across the country, State/ UT-wise including Tamil Nadu;
- (b) the details of targets set and achievements made so far under the programme during the said period, State/ UT-wise including Tamil Nadu indicating the reasons, if any, for not achieving the targets set;
- (c) whether  the  Government  is  planning  to  raise  its  target  within  the  country,  if  so,  the State/UT-wise details thereof along with the funds likely to be sanctioned for the purpose and the time by which it is likely to be allocated;
- (d) whether  the  Government  has  set  the  target  of  restoration  of  fifty  lakh  hectares  of degraded land by 2030 and if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) whether  the  Government  has  planned  to  set  up  a  Centre  for  Excellence  for  land degradation  neutrality  in  Dehradun  for  developing  research  technology  to  combat  land degradation and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

(a), (b) and (c): Land Degradation Neutrality Target Setting Programme is a programme of  United  Nations  convention  to  Combat  Desertification.  At  the  twelfth  session  of  the Conference of Parties of the UNCCD held in October 2015 in Ankara, Turkey, country Parties  reached  a  breakthrough  agreement  to  endorse  the  vision  of  LDN  and  link  the implementation of the Convention to the SDGs in general, and target 15.3 in particular(

Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target 15.3 states: 'By 2030, combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil, including land affected by desertification, drought  and  floods,  and  strive  to  achieve  a  land  degradation-neutral  world.' ).  India, Ministry  of  Environment,  Forest  &  Climate  change  being  the  focal  point  for  the Convention has recently committed to it and is working out the ways to achieve it. So the details of state-wise information is not available.

(d)  Yes,  the  Government  has  set  the  target  of  restoration  of  fifty  lakh  hectares  of degraded land by 2030. During CoP-14 held in September 2019 in the country, India has raised  its  ambition  of  the  total  area  that  would  be  restored  from  its  land  degradation/ desertification status, from 21 million hectares to 26 million hectares between now and 2030. The details of the programme are being worked out.

(e):Yes,  the  Government  has  planned  to  set  up  a  Centre  for  Excellence  for  land degradation  neutrality  in  Dehradun  for  developing  research  technology  to  combat  land degradation. The details are being worked out in the Ministry.

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