Under the chairmanship of Bhupender Yadav, Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) organized Desertification and Drought Day today. Every year, the Ministry commemorates this day in order to raise large-scale awareness about the critical role of land in all environmental and economic concerns confronting India and the world.
This event's commemoration encourages individuals and groups to take actions that will keep the land healthy and productive. The event featured presentations on various aspects of desertification, such as the Banni grassland restoration initiative, Indian eco-restoration of deserts, forestry certification, and achieving land degradation neutrality.
The Forest Stewardship Council's Forest Stewardship Standard for India was released by the Union Minister. This India-specific voluntary forest management standard will encourage third-party auditing of forest owners for a variety of principles, criteria, and indicators. Forest certification is an important tool in the fight against desertification and the promotion of forest sustainability. FSC forest certification will help Atmanirbhar Bharat achieve its goals and contribute to the country's efforts to meet international commitments under the SDGs, CBD, UNCCD, UNFCCC, and Bonn Challenge.
Progressive farmer and conservationist Sunda Ram Verma, Padma Shree awardee, 2020, and forest and wildlife enthusiast Himmata Ram Bhambhu, Padma Shree awardee, 2020, shared illuminating experiences on the management of desertification and land degradation.
The programme also featured a detailed presentation on the road map for combating desertification by Chandra Prakash Goyal, IFS, Director General of Forests and Special Secretary, MoEF&CC, followed by a keynote address by Leela Nandan, Secretary, MoEF&CC, in which both officers discussed the threat, composite, and cohesive Action Plan.
The Union Minister emphasized that India has been at the forefront of bringing the issue of land degradation to the forefront of relevant international alliances for environmental protection and conservation. In September 2019, India hosted the 14th Conference of Parties (COP 14) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), as well as the recommendations of the Inter-Governmental Working Group Report on Drought in COP-15.
The Minister stated that the Prime Minister stated that India is working to achieve its national commitments of Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) and the restoration of 26 million hectares of degraded land by 2030. This would centre on the sustainable and optimal use of land resources. The Government of India has taken a collective approach to make progress toward meeting national commitments related to land restoration, said the Minister.
Yadav also mentioned our Prime Minister's one-word mantra, LIFE, which stands for Lifestyle for Environment. He stated that all of us should reconsider our current lifestyle choices. He was convinced that what was required today was mindful and deliberate consumption rather than mindless and destructive consumption and that this needed to become a mass movement of environmentally conscious lifestyles.
He emphasized the importance of maximizing the use of indigenous knowledge for agricultural and land improvement work. He requested that the Ministry coordinate with eight other related Ministries involved in land degradation restoration. The Minister emphasized the importance of women's roles in land management. The Minister concluded that combating desertification should be done on a mission basis.
