International Day for the Fight Against Desertification and Drought

Concerning the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought

The United Nations General Assembly established it in 1994, and it is celebrated every year on June 17. It emphasizes the critical necessity for sustainable land stewardship and worldwide efforts to combat desertification.

Theme (2025): ‘Revive the Earth.’ Open the Possibilities

Desertification

The UNCCD (United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification) describes land desertification as “the deterioration of land in arid, semi-arid, and dry sub-humid regions caused by multiple factors, such as climate changes and human actions.”

The acceleration of land degradation is leading to an annual cost of $878 billion for the global economy. Africa and Asia suffer the most, with the Sahel, Middle East, and Central Asia identified as key hotspots.

As per ISRO’s Desertification and Land Degradation Atlas (2021), 29.7% of India's total geographical area (TGA) is experiencing desertification or land degradation.

The UNCCD was established to tackle these challenges, advocating for policies that support sustainable land management and resilience to climate change.

Factors Contributing to Desertification

Drought and unpredictable rainfall: Excessive grazing, tree loss, and non-sustainable farming.

Climate alteration: City growth and manufacturing expansion

Erosion by wind and water: Overextraction of groundwater and ineffective irrigation methods.

Soil salinization: Infrastructure development and mining

Consequences of Desertification

Environmental: Diminution of soil health, biodiversity, and groundwater replenishment.

Increased climate change due to decreased carbon absorption.

Heightened occurrence of dust storms and sand intrusion.

Economic: Decreased agricultural output and loss of income for farmers and herders.

Heightened rural poverty, food scarcity, and migration challenges.

Significant expenses for rehabilitation and irrigation systems.

Social: Migration due to distress and conflicts based on resources.

Degradation of conventional wisdom and native land stewardship practices.

Geopolitical: Desertification causes cross-border conflicts regarding water, land, and food safety, especially in vulnerable ecosystems such as the Sahel or Indo-Gangetic plains.

India's Initiatives

National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC): The National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture and the Green India Mission tackle land degradation.

National Afforestation Initiative: Via the National Mission for a Green India (GIM) and the Forest Fire Protection & Management Scheme (FFPM), India assists states with afforestation and forest preservation.

Compensatory afforestation through the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) aims to enhance forest cover.

Desert Development Programme (DDP): Focuses on dry regions through comprehensive watershed management.

Conservation of Mangrove and Coastal Ecosystems: India executes yearly Management Action Plans for the preservation of mangroves and coral reefs throughout coastal states and UTs under the National Coastal Mission.

Global Structures

UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD): India has been a participant since 1996 and organized COP-14 in New Delhi in 2019.

Bonn Challenge: A worldwide objective aims to restore 150 million hectares of degraded and deforested areas by 2020 and 350 million hectares by 2030.

India committed to rehabilitating 13 million hectares of damaged land by 2020 and a further 8 million hectares by 2030.

2030 Agenda (SDG 15.3): Dedicated to attaining Land Degradation Neutrality.

Path Ahead

Coordinated Land Use Strategy: Align national planning with land suitability and agro-climatic areas.

Encourage multi-cropping, crop rotation, and sustainable livestock grazing practices.

Watershed Management Led by Communities: Enable Panchayats and nearby residents.

Encourage planning based on watersheds and promote decentralized water collection.

Scientific Oversight: Employ remote sensing, GIS, and AI for instant monitoring of degradation.

Enhance Soil Health Monitoring Systems.

Sustainable Agriculture: Transition to organic farming, zero-cost natural farming, and agroforestry practices.