Bioenergy to Play a Crucial Role in Achieving the Goal of Land Restoration: Narendra Singh Tomar

On the occasion of World Environment Day, Narendra Singh Tomar, Speaker, Madhya Pradesh today said bioenergy would play a crucial role in achieving the goals of land restoration, halting desertification, and building drought resilience as it provides sustainable energy solutions.

Delivering a keynote speech at a special event organized by the Confederation of NGOs of Rural India, Tomar stated, “Ecosystems around the world are under threat. From forests and drylands to farmlands and lakes, natural spaces crucial to human survival are nearing a tipping point. More than 2 billion hectares of land are degraded worldwide, an area nearly the size of India and the Russian Federation combined. Every year, an estimated 12 million hectares of land are lost to degradation, impacting global food and water supplies. Land degradation affects 3.2 billion people, or 40% of the world’s population, disproportionately harming rural communities, smallholder farmers, and the poor. It needs immediate attention.”

“One of the key challenges of land restoration is the effective utilization of biomass, which significantly impacts the flora and biodiversity of the region. India, home to about 17% of the world’s population, consumes only around 5% of the world’s energy. Our per capita energy and electricity consumption is less than one-third of the global average. Bioenergy plays a crucial role in achieving this year's goals of land restoration, halting desertification, and building drought resilience by providing sustainable energy solutions that mitigate environmental degradation and enhance land restoration efforts,” he further added.

Under the able leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the government has implemented various schemes and initiatives to promote bioenergy, focusing on biomass, biogas, and waste-to-energy projects.

He also appreciated schemes like the National Bioenergy Programme which includes sub-schemes such as the Waste to Energy Programme, Biomass Programme, and Biogas Programme; the Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation (SATAT) scheme; the New National Biogas and Organic Manure Programme (NNBOMP) and the GOBAR Dhan (Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources Dhan) Schemes and called upon various stakeholders to take effective measures to achieve the noble objectives of these schemes. 

“These initiatives reflect the government's commitment to leveraging bioenergy as a sustainable and environmentally friendly energy source while addressing waste management issues and promoting rural and agricultural development,” Tomar said.

The event was attended by several thought leaders from a wide array of areas.

Participating in the seminar, Dileep Shanghani, Founder Chairman of World Cooperation Economic Forum, Chairman of IFFCO & President of, the National Cooperative Union of India (NCUI) said, “Cooperative economic Framework in the new global order has to realign itself to work for this major global challenge of Climate Change. Bio-economy has a big role to play which will bring Livelihood solutions. The world has to learn a lot from India's march towards addressing SDG challenges,” said Dileep Shanghani. 

Binod Anand, Secretary General of, the Confederation of NGOs of Rural India also expressed similar views. “Droughts, a direct result of land degradation, affect 55 million people annually, making it the most serious threat to livestock and crops worldwide.  A staggering 3.2 billion people, or 40% of the world's population, are directly impacted by land degradation.  This burden falls disproportionately on the most vulnerable - rural communities, smallholder farmers, and the poor who lack the resources to cope. Land degradation could reduce global food productivity by 12%, leading to food price hikes of up to 30% by 2040.  This not only threatens food security but also has the potential to destabilize economies worldwide,” Anand said.

“India is taking a leading role in addressing land degradation. The LiFE movement, championed by our honorable Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, encourages responsible living and promotes harmony with nature.  By sharing our experiences and best practices with the world, we can inspire other countries to explore land restoration solutions in an "Indian way" – a way that emphasizes sustainability and traditional knowledge,” Anand added.

Several distinguished speakers and thought leaders including Dr. S.N Tripathi (IAS Retd); Dr. Rajvir Sharma, Dr. P. S. Birthal; Ms. Neel Kamal Darbari (IAS Retd); Prof. (Dr.) Vinod K. Sharma; Vishal Singh; Ms. Gopa Pandey (IFS Retd); Dr.  HP Singh; Dr.  R. G. Agarwal; Sita Ram Gupta; Dr. Sushil Singla (IFS); Vishwas Tripathi; Dr. Amitabh Kundu; Manish Shanghai; Nitin Chitkara; Prof. Ravi Prakash Ojha; J T Charry; Dr. Rakesh Arrawatia; Niranjan Karade; Prof. Manisha Paliwal; Rajesh Lamba and Vipin Saini also shared their valuable thoughts on the critical subject.