Desertification and Land Degradation

DESERTIFICATION AND LAND DEGRADATION

Desertification is a type of land degradation in which a relatively dry land region becomes increasingly arid, typically losing its bodies of water as well as vegetation and wildlife. Currently 41% of the landmass worldwide is prone to desertification and more than 2 billion people are affected by desertification and land degradation.

Key causes :

• Overgrazing and unsustainable agri practices are other major factors leading to desertification.
• Increasing pollution also negatively hampers biodiversity (including biodiversity), causes infertility of soil and promotes desertification.
• Climate change and higher probability of droughts have made more areas vulnerable to desertification.
• Salinization caused by overuse of water, degrades soil and promotes desertification.
• Unsustainable Mining practices also degrade soil and promote desertification.
• Invasive species of plants such as Proposis Juliflora have also resulted in the decline of natural vegetation and expansion of deserts. This can be specifically seen in the case of Banni Grassland, of Kutch Gujarat.
• Forest fires are the other major drives of desertification.
• Lack of resources to fight desertification. The issue was also raised recently in the 14^th COP on UNCCD. Only $6.4 billion have been spent in the last 2 years to combat desertification, the real cost should be as much as $450 billion annually.

Impact :

• Threatens socio- economic development by threatening food security, increasing poverty and unemployment due to land degradation.
• Increases vulnerability of already vulnerable groups.
• Promotes the vicious cycle of degradation.
• Poverty forces people to go for unsustainable agri practices, further promoting desertification.
• Desertification adds to and worsens the impact of climate change
• It reduces forest cover and thus reduces the sinks for CO

UNITED NATION CONVENTION ON COMBATING DESERTIFICATION (UNCCD): UNCCD is one of three important conventions finalised in 1992 Earth summit (the other being CBD and UNFCCC). It was established in 1994 and is the sole legally binding international agreement linking environment and development to sustainability and management. The convention addresses specifically the arid, semi arid, and dry sub- humid areas, known as drylands, where some of the most vulnerable ecosystems and peoples can be found.

The convention has 197 members who work together to:

• Improve the living condition of people in drylands
• Maintain and restore soil productivity.
• Mitigate the effect of drought

Key outcomes of the 14^th COP in New Delhi/Key initiatives launched at COP 14

• The COP agreed to include land tenure as a new thematic area under the convention.
• Drought toolbox has been launched. This toolbox can be used by member countries to assess drought risks in their regions much in advance, and prepare to deal with water scarcity.
• A road map for scaling up the Africa- led Great Green Wall Initiative to restore 100 million hectares of land and create 10 million green jobs by 2030.
• An international coalition on sand and dust storms aimed at mitigation of their transboundary impacts on human health, the environment and the key economic sectors.
• Through the New Delhi Declaration the COP 14 announced its commitment to enhance implementation of the UNFCCD through among
• Other action: establishing a centre of excellence to promote South- South Exchange: raising its 2030 land degradation target to 21 million hectares: and taking into consideration land- based solutions for climate action and biodiversity conservation.
• COP15 was originally supposed to be held in 2021, but due to global pandemic it is rescheduled to take place between May and October 2022.

THE NEW UNCCD 2018-30 STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK:

It is the most comprehensive global commitment to achieve Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) to achieve a land degradation- neutral world consistent with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Land Degradation Neutrality : A state whereby the amount and quality of land resources, necessary to support ecosystem functions and services and enhance food security, remains stable or increases within specified temporal and spatial scales and ecosystem.

THE LDN TARGET SETTING PROGRAM: Through this the Global Mechanism (GM) and Secretariat of UNCCD, in collaboration with multiple international partners, are supporting interested countries in their national LDN target setting process.

The LDN Fund: It is an impact investment fund, blending resources from the public, private and philanthropic sectors to support achieving LDN through sustainable land management and land restoration projects implemented in the private sector. It is the first of its kind investment vehicle leveraging public money to raise Private capital for sustainable land projects. It was officially launched at COP 13 in Ordos, China.

WORLD DAY TO COMBAT DESERTIFICATION AND DROUGHT: 17th June

Background: In 1994, the General Assembly established the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), the sole, legally binding international agreement, linking environment and development to sustainable land management, and declared the 17th June “World Day Combat Desertification and Drought.”

Later in 2007, UNGA declared the decade 2010 to 2020 as the UN Decade for Deserts and Find against Desertification to mobilise global action to fight land degradation. The 2021 Desertification and Drought day focused on turning degraded land into healthy land.

THE BONN CHALLENGE : It is a global goal to bring 150 million hectares of degraded and deforested landscapes into restoration by 2020 and 350 million hectares by 2030.

GREAT GREEN WALL INITIATIVE : This initiative was launched in 2007 by the African union and is aimed at restoring Africa’s degraded landscapes and transform millions of lives in one of the world poorest regions, the Sahel. It will be covering the Sahel region, from Senegal in the west to Djibouti in the East of Africa.

Once complete, the wall will be the largest living structure on the planet- an 8000 km, natural wonder of the world stretching across the entire width of the continent. The initiative has brought together African countries and international partners, under the leadership of African Union Commission and Pan African agencies of the great Green wall.

Objectives: By 2030, re-store hundred million HA of currently degraded land; sequester 250 million tonnes of carbon; and create 10 million green jobs.

UN HIGH-LEVEL DIALOGUE ON DESERTIFICATION COME ON LAND DEGRADATION, AND DROUGHT:

Why in the News? PM Modi gave a keynote address to the UN high-level dialogue on Desertification, land degradation and drought.

Details : The President of the general assembly convened a high-level dialogue to assess the programs made in the fight against desertification (2011-2020) and map the way forward. This dialogue took place in May 2021. 

Key purpose:

• Bring attention to how COVID-19 recovery process can be aligned to address DLDD through job creation projects in land restoration, regenerative agriculture, Renewable energy, and energy efficiency, and investments in sustainable land management.
• Elevate the discourse on DLDD issues global significance for the entire SDG agenda and for climate, biodiversity, and disaster risk reduction.
• Build upon the commitments made by member states during CBD Summit, UNFCCC Summit and so on.
• Encourage all UN members to adapt and implement land degradation, neutrality targets and national drought plans as part of their NDCs to Paris agreement.
• Call member countries to support the land degradation neutrality fund, and other funding mechanisms to scale up land restoration by all sectors of society.
• Share experiences, best practices, cutting edge technologies, and innovative business models that advance green, resilient and inclusive recovery strategy.

Key highlights of PM Modi’s Address: In India, we have always given importance to land and considered the sacred Earth as our mother

Key steps by India :

• Afforestation: Over the last 10 years, India has added 3 million hectares of forest cover.
• India is on track to achieve our national commitment of Land Degradation Neutrality (SDG target 15.3)
• India is also working towards restoring 26 million hectares of degraded land by 2030.
• This would also contribute to India’s NDC commitment of an additional 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent.
• In the spirit of south cooperation, India is also helping fellow developing countries to develop land restoration strategies.
• A centre of excellence is being set up in India to promote scientific approach towards land degradation strategy.
• Restoration of land can start the virtuous cycle of good soil health, increased land productivity, food security and improved livelihood.

DESERTIFICATION AND LAND DEGRADATION ATLAS OF INDIA :  It has been published by Space Application Centre, ISRO Ahmedabad ( June 2021) The Atlas provides state wise area of degraded lands for the time frame 2018- 2019. It also provide change analysis for the duration of 15 years, from 2003-2005 to 2018-19

Key Highlights:

• 7% of India’s land is degraded.
• e. 97.8 million hectare of India’s total geographical area(TGA) of 328.72 mha underwent land degradation .
• Area under desertification have also increased to 83.69 million hectares in 2018-19 from 82.64 mha in 2011-13

Note: Land degradation within dry land regions (arid, semi- arid, and dry sub-humid regions) is termed as desertification.

State wise breakup :

• Increase in level of desertification have been seen in 28 out of 31 states and UTs between 2011-13 and 2018-19
• Even in Goa and Odisha where desertification had declined earlier (between 2003-05 and 2011-13),it has increased now.
• Land degradation and desertification was declining in UP, Rajasthan and Telangana in 2018-19
• Around 23.79% of the area undergoing desertification with respect to the TGA of the country was contributed by Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Ladakh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, and Telangana.

OTHER CLIMATE RELATED NEWS USEFUL FOR PRELIMS

40th INDIAN SCIENTIFIC EXPEDITION TO ANTARCTICA LAUNCHED (Jan 2021)

Background : The Indian Antarctic expeditions began in 1981. With humble beginnings,the Indian Antarctic program now has three permanent research base station in Antarctica- named Dakshin Gangotri,Maitri,and Bharti. Currently only Maitri, and Bharti are functional. The National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), Goa manages the entire Indian Antarctic Program

Details of this expedition:

The Indian expedition marks the four decades of the country’s scientific endeavour to the southern white continent. It was flagged off from Goa with 43 members on board. The scientific and logistic activities of the 40^th Indian Antarctic Expedition are limited due to the existing challenges associated with COVID-19 pandemic.