- India views land restoration as an essential component of sustainable and resilient development, according to Union Minister Bhupender Yadav.
- In 2015, India made an initial commitment to restore degraded and deforested land, which was later enhanced to 26 million hectares by 2030.
- India's Second Progress Report on the Bonn Challenge revealed that 21.76 million hectares have been restored, generating 1.22 billion person-days of employment.
- At the UNCCD CoP 17 in Mongolia, Yadav emphasized the need for diversified, adequate, predictable, and sustained international financing for land restoration.
- India is currently undertaking the next reporting cycle for 2021-25 with the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) and IUCN.
- Yadav showcased India's blended green finance framework, which supports financing for climate change adaptation, sustainable land use, and biodiversity conservation.
- Sovereign Green Bonds were mentioned as a means to mobilize capital for land restoration and drought resilience.
- Yadav discussed India's compensatory conservation regime, which integrates corporate funding into environmental regulatory processes.
- Yadav emphasized the importance of sustained investment in land restoration, stating it is an investment in food, water, biodiversity, and livelihoods.
- On the sidelines of UNCCD CoP 17, Yadav met with Bangladesh's counterpart to discuss key issues such as mangrove conservation and land erosion.
India's commitment to land restoration is a cornerstone of its sustainable development strategy, according to Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav. "Land restoration is not a cost but an investment in food, water, biodiversity, livelihoods, and long-term resilience," he stated at the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) CoP 17.
Yadav highlighted that India aims to restore 26 million hectares of degraded land by 2030, building on a previous commitment made in 2015. The country has already restored 21.76 million hectares from 2011 to 2020, generating approximately 1.22 billion person-days of employment. This progress underscores the dual benefits of restoration: environmental and socio-economic outcomes.3
The minister stressed the need for diversified, predictable, and sustained international financing to support these efforts, noting that public-private partnerships are essential. He showcased India's blended green finance framework and Sovereign Green Bonds as innovative financing mechanisms to mobilize capital for restoration and resilience initiatives.7
Yadav also discussed India's Green Credit Programme, which incentivizes restoration efforts by issuing credits after successful projects. He emphasized that finance must be continuous, verifiable, and connected to local communities to be effective. However, he reiterated that domestic resources alone cannot replace the need for adequate international support for restoration and drought resilience.
“India restored 21.76 million hectares under the Bonn Challenge from 2011-2020, generating 1.22 billion person-days of employment. Yadav also met Bangladesh's counterpart to discuss mangrove conservation and transboundary monitoring of Bengal tigers in the Sundarbans.”
