India Restored 21.76 Million Hectares of Degraded Land, Says Bhupender Yadav at UNCCD CoP17
Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said on Monday that India restored more than 21 million hectares of degraded and deforested land between 2011 and 2020, generating approximately 1.22 billion person-days of employment. He was speaking at a side event organized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) during the 17th Conference of the Parties (CoP17) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
Yadav highlighted that the restoration figures demonstrate that land restoration can deliver both environmental and socio-economic outcomes. "These figures demonstrate that restoration can deliver both environmental and socio-economic outcomes by reviving degraded landscapes while creating employment and supporting rural livelihoods," he said.
The restoration efforts spanned forests, agriculture, soil and water conservation, and other land-use systems. Yadav emphasized that restoration cannot be achieved through a single programme or sector. "It requires convergence across landscapes, sectors and levels of governance -- from local communities and states to the Union government," he said.
He cited the Green India Mission as an example of an initiative strengthening forest and tree cover, ecosystem services, and climate resilience. He also mentioned the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority, through which "substantial resources are being directed towards compensatory afforestation and allied restoration activities."
India's Second Progress Report on the Bonn Challenge, covering 2011-2020, was recently released. According to Yadav, the report shows that India was able to bring 21.76 million hectares of land under restoration, supported by significant convergent financial flows. He said the assessment captured restoration across various land-use systems, recognizing that restoration must respond to the ecological and socio-economic characteristics of each landscape.
Yadav also noted that in 2015, India made an initial commitment to restore degraded and deforested land, which was subsequently enhanced to 26 million hectares by 2030. He described land restoration as an "essential component of sustainable and resilient development."
The minister concluded by saying that India remains committed to working with international partners to advance restoration at scale. He added that the country's experience demonstrates that ambitious commitments can be translated into measurable outcomes when supported by strong institutions, sustained financing, sound science, robust monitoring, and partnerships across sectors and levels of governance.
The CoP17 to the UNCCD is being hosted by Mongolia from August 17 to 28 under the theme 'Restoring Land. Restoring Hope.'