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What happened
India restored 21.76 million hectares of degraded land between 2011 and 2020, generating 1.22 billion person-days of employment, according to a PIB release citing official data. This achievement advances India's commitment under the UN Convention to Combat Desertification to restore 26 million hectares by 2030. The restoration was driven by programmes including MGNREGS, watershed development, and afforestation schemes, positioning India among the leading land-restoration nations globally.
02 Understand
Why it matters
Land degradation is the decline in land productivity caused by unsustainable land use, deforestation, soil erosion, and water stress. India has committed under the Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) framework of the UNCCD (United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification) to restore 26 million hectares of degraded land by 2030. This target is also embedded in India's updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement.
The UNCCD, adopted in 1994 and entering into force in 1996, is the third Rio Convention alongside the UNFCCC and the CBD. India has been a party since 1996. The Conference of Parties (COP) to the UNCCD sets restoration targets and monitors progress. COP 16 was held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in 2024.
The 21.76 million hectare restoration figure for 2011–2020 is significant because it demonstrates measurable progress toward the 26 million hectare 2030 pledge. Key implementing mechanisms include MGNREGS (watershed and land treatment works), the National Afforestation Programme, the Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP) now subsumed under PMKSY-WDC, and the Green India Mission under the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC).
Land restoration is also directly linked to carbon sequestration — restored land absorbs atmospheric carbon, contributing to India's NDC target of creating an additional carbon sink of 2.5–3 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalent by 2030. For NABARD, restored land improves agricultural productivity, reduces rural vulnerability, and underpins credit viability for farm loans.
The UNCCD, adopted in 1994 and entering into force in 1996, is the third Rio Convention alongside the UNFCCC and the CBD. India has been a party since 1996. The Conference of Parties (COP) to the UNCCD sets restoration targets and monitors progress. COP 16 was held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in 2024.
The 21.76 million hectare restoration figure for 2011–2020 is significant because it demonstrates measurable progress toward the 26 million hectare 2030 pledge. Key implementing mechanisms include MGNREGS (watershed and land treatment works), the National Afforestation Programme, the Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP) now subsumed under PMKSY-WDC, and the Green India Mission under the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC).
Land restoration is also directly linked to carbon sequestration — restored land absorbs atmospheric carbon, contributing to India's NDC target of creating an additional carbon sink of 2.5–3 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalent by 2030. For NABARD, restored land improves agricultural productivity, reduces rural vulnerability, and underpins credit viability for farm loans.
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