India restored 21.76 million ha in 2011–2020, UNCCD COP17 told

India’s land restoration record: what happened?

Degraded land is land that has lost its soil, water or plant cover. It grows less food, holds less water and pushes people to migrate. India has promised the world to bring a large area of such land back to health. At COP17, the Environment Minister gave the first big scorecard.

• India released its Second Progress Report on the Bonn Challenge, covering 2011–2020.
• 21.76 million hectares were brought under restoration in that decade.
• The work generated about 1.22 billion person-days of employment.
• The assessment counts restoration across forests, agriculture, soil and water conservation and other land uses, not just tree planting.
• The next reporting cycle, for 2021–2025, is under way with the ICFRE Centre of Excellence on Sustainable Land Management and IUCN.

What is the Bonn Challenge?

• A global restoration pledge platform, under which countries commit to restore degraded and deforested land.
• India made an initial commitment in 2015, later enhanced to 26 million hectares by 2030.
• The Minister said India is among the major global pledgers.

What did the Second Progress Report find?

• 21.76 million hectares brought under restoration in 2011–2020.
• Restoration was backed by convergent financial flows from many schemes.
• About 1.22 billion person-days of work were created, showing that restoration also delivers jobs.
• It also showed the need for better systems to monitor outcomes, money spent and livelihood impact.

Which programmes do the work?

• Green India Mission: forest and tree cover, ecosystem services and climate resilience.
• Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA): compensatory afforestation and allied restoration.
• Nagar Van Yojana: urban forests and green spaces in cities and their outskirts.
• Watershed development, agroforestry, soil and water conservation and community-led restoration.

Which constitutional provisions support land and forest restoration?

• Article 48A (Directive Principle): the State shall endeavour to protect and improve the environment and to safeguard the forests and wild life of the country.
• Article 51A(g) (Fundamental Duty): to protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers and wild life, and to have compassion for living creatures.
• Seventh Schedule, List III (Concurrent List), Entry 17A: Forests; added by the Forty-second Amendment.

What do the numbers show?

How does India track restoration?

1. Schemes restore forests, farms, soil and water bodies
2. Area, money and jobs are recorded across sectors
3. Data compiled into a national progress report
4. Report submitted under the Bonn Challenge
5. Gaps feed into the next cycle (2021–2025)

Why does India’s land restoration record matter?

What are the challenges in India’s land restoration record?

• Monitoring of outcomes, financial flows and livelihood impact still needs to be strengthened, the report itself says.
• About 4.24 million hectares remain to meet the 2030 pledge.
• Restoration is spread over many schemes, so counting it without double counting is hard.
• Restored land must be kept healthy, not just planted once.

What should be done next on India’s land restoration record?

• Finish the 2021–2025 report with better data on area, money and jobs.
• Find new ways to finance restoration, bringing in more public and private money.
• Share technology and experience through regional and international partners.
• Keep local communities at the centre, since they manage the land every day.
• After 2030, “restore better, finance better” with measurable, lasting outcomes, as the Minister put it.

What can Prelims ask on India’s land restoration record?

• UNCCD COP17: Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia (2026).
• Bonn Challenge: India’s pledge is 26 million ha by 2030; first commitment made in 2015.
• Second Progress Report: 21.76 million ha restored in 2011–2020; 1.22 billion person-days of work.
• Next cycle (2021–2025) with ICFRE Centre of Excellence on Sustainable Land Management and IUCN.
• Forests: List III, Entry 17A (added by the 42nd Amendment).

How to write about India’s land restoration record in Mains

Practice question (15 marks, 250 words): India has brought over 21 million hectares under restoration in a decade. Examine how land restoration serves both ecological and livelihood goals, and suggest how monitoring can be improved.

• Intro: Bonn Challenge pledge of 26 million ha; 21.76 million ha in 2011–2020.
• Ecology: forests, soil and water conservation, climate resilience.
• Livelihoods: 1.22 billion person-days of work.
• Delivery: Green India Mission, CAMPA, Nagar Van Yojana, watersheds.
• Gaps and way forward: monitoring, finance, community role; Art 48A and 51A(g).