Lok Sabha Question No. 669 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-07-20
Subject: Land Degradation
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: OM BIRLA

## 669. SHRI OM BIRLA:

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

- (a) the details of the total estimated land area which has been subjected to degradation in country, State/UT-wise;
- (b) whether a survey has been carried out by the Government which states that there has been a considerable loss to GDP of country due to degradation of land during past few years and if so, the details thereof along with the steps taken by the Government to tackle such problem;
- (c) whether the Government is working towards achieving sustainable development goals as agreed upon in 'United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification' and if so, the details thereof along with target set by the Government in this regard;
- (d) whether  there  exist  a  more  comprehensive  coordination  strategy  to  combat  land degradation challenge in the country and that there is a need to spread awareness as to its consequences in the lower strata of the society as well; and
- (e) If so, the steps taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) A total of 96.40 Million Hectare Area (mha) of the country is undergoing process of land degradation,i.e 29.32% of the Total Geographic Area (TGA) of the country during 2011-13 (Space Applications Centre, 2016). The State/UT wise data of the same is placed at Annex I.
- (b) No. The Government has not carried out any survey which states that there has been a considerable loss to GDP of the country due to degradation of land during the past few years.
- (c)  The  United  Nations  Convention  to  Combat  Desertification  (UNCCD)  is  the  custodian agency for SDG indicator 15.3.1 ('Proportion of land that is degraded over total land area') to monitor progress towards achieving SDG target 15.3 - Life on Land. The Hon'bleMinister, MoEF&CC, on the occasion of World Day to Combat Desertification on 17 June 2014, had announced  India's  commitment  to  achieve  LDN  by  2030  with  the  cooperation  and synchronized efforts of other relevant line-Ministries. Further, India at the thirteenth session of the Conference of Parties (CoP 13) United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) held in Ordos, Inner Mongolia, China, from 6-16 September 2017, has expressed its  intention  to  join  the  Global  Mechanism's  Land  Degradation  Neutrality  Target  Setting Programme (LDN-TSP).

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 669 TO BE ANSWERED ON 20.07.2018

## Land Degradation

(d) & (e) Government is continuing its efforts at efficient utilization and conservation of land and water resources through a number of programmes on watershed management, rainwater conservation, afforestation under schemes like Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), PradhanMantriKrishiSinchaiYojna (PMKSY), Per Drop More Crop, RashtriyaKrishiVikasYojana, DeenDayalAntyodayaYojanaNational Rural Livelihoods Mission, DeendayalUpadhyayGrameenKaushalyaYojana etc. This effort encompasses the involvement and coordination between various government agencies at the national and  sub-national level.    Such  programmes  have  been  formulated  after  due consultations with relevant stakeholders and experts including those from scientific organisations/institutes  under  Government  of  India,  and  Non-governmental  Organisations (NGOs) working at various strata of the society.

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