Recently, UNCCD and the UN University Institute for Water, Environment, and Health UNU-INWEH released the report, ‘Economics of drought: Investing in nature-based solutions for drought resilience – proaction pays,‘ at the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) to UNCCD in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) to UNCCD
- The sixteenth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP16) of the UNCCD take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from 2 to 13 December 2024.
- It coincides with the Convention’s 30th anniversary.
- It will also be the first time a UNCCD COP is held in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, which knows firsthand the impacts of desertification, land degradation and drought.
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About United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)
- It is the only legally binding framework set up to address desertification and the effects of drought.
- It is a multilateral commitment to mitigate the impact of land degradation, and protect our land so we can provide food, water, shelter and economic opportunity to all people.
- It is one of three Conventions from the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro.
- Established in 1994
- Members: 197 parties (196 + EU),
- India became a signatory in 1994 and ratified it in 1996.
- Secretariat: The UNCCD permanent secretariat is located in Bonn, Germany.
- Principle: The Convention is based on the principles of participation, partnership and decentralization
- Areas of Focus: The Convention addresses specifically the arid, semi-arid, and dry sub-humid ecosystems known as the drylands.
- Conferences of the Parties (COPs): Held every two years of the parties to the convention.
- Financial Mechanism: The Global Mechanism (GM) established in 1994 under Article 21 of the Convention facilitates the mobilization of financial resources to implement the Convention and address desertification, land degradation and drought.
- The UNCCD 2018-2030 Strategic Framework: It is a global commitment to achieve Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN).
- Aim: It aims to restore the productivity of vast expanses of degraded land, improve the livelihoods of more than 1.3 billion people, and reduce the impacts of drought on vulnerable populations.
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About Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN)- UNCCD
- LDN is a state where land resources needed for ecosystems and food security remain stable or improve over time.
- A key part of this strategy is to restore one billion hectares of land by 2030 with proper funding and action.
- Promisingly, 109 countries have set voluntary LDN targets for 2030.
- Between 2016 and 2019, approximately $5 billion from bilateral and multilateral sources has been allocated to combat desertification, land-degradation, and drought, supporting projects in 124 nations.
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Key Highlights of UNCCD Report
- Scale of Land Degradation: Currently, 40% of the world’s land is degraded, impacting the lives of 3.2 billion people globally, especially indigenous communities, rural households, youth, and women.
- Annual Cost of Drought: Annual global costs of drought already exceed $307 billion, driven by land mismanagement, deforestation, groundwater overdraft, and climate change.
- Human-Induced Droughts: Human-induced droughts have increased by 29% since 2000, and projections indicate that by 2050, three in four people worldwide could be affected.
- Drought is increasingly linked to unsustainable land and water management practices, not merely the lack of rainfall.
- Financial Gaps: The world needs $355 billion annually from 2025 to 2030 to meet land restoration and drought resilience goals.
- Current investments have increased from $37 billion in 2016 to $66 billion in 2022, but there remains an annual shortfall of $278 billion.
- The private sector currently contributes only 6% of the required funding, and increasing private investment is essential.
- Cost of Inaction: Land degradation already costs the global economy $878 billion annually, which includes losses in agricultural productivity, ecosystem services, and damages caused by drought.
- Economic and Environmental Case for Nature-Based Solutions (NbS)
- Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) focus on restoring ecosystem functions and soil health to enhance water flow, storage, and supply.
- Examples include: Reforestation, grazing management, and watershed restoration.
- Triple Dividend of NbS:
- Reduce loss and damage from drought.
- Increase income for land and water users.
- Generate co-benefits for climate resilience, biodiversity, and sustainable development.
- Every $1 invested in NbS yields up to $27 in benefits, such as:
- Higher farmer incomes.
- Value chain resilience.
- Reduced long-term economic costs.
- Business Potential: By 2030, NbS could generate $10.1 trillion in business value and create 395 million jobs globally.
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About Land Degradation
- According to the UNCCD, land degradation refers to the reduction or loss of biological or economic productivity and complexity of rainfed cropland, irrigated cropland, range, pasture, forest, and woodlands.
Status of Land Degradation in India
Causes of Land Degradation
- Unsustainable Agricultural Practices: Unsustainable use of water resources especially in arid or dry regions leads to soil degradation and erosion.
- Unsustainable irrigation depletes freshwater resources, particularly in regions like Punjab, where groundwater extraction exceeds replenishment levels by 165%, also creating the problem of salinization.
- Excessive Use of Fertilizers: Overuse of nitrogen- and phosphorus-based fertilizers destabilizes ecosystems by causing nutrient imbalance.
- For instance, the eutrophication of water bodies like the Gulf of Mexico’s “dead zone” is linked to fertilizer runoff.
- Climate Change: Global warming increases the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events such as heavy rainfall and droughts, accelerating soil erosion.
- According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), global warming has worsened desertification in the Sahel region of Africa.
- Deforestation: Clearing forests for agriculture and urban expansion leads to loss of vegetation cover, making soil vulnerable to erosion.
- Since 1980, India has diverted 1.5 million hectares of forest land for development and a majority of this loss occurred since 2000.
- Rapid Urbanization: Rapid urbanisation has intensified land degradation by contributing to habitat destruction, pollution, and biodiversity loss.
- The Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) has experienced rapid urban sprawl in areas like Noida, Gurgaon, and Ghaziabad, leading to significant loss of agricultural land.
- Overgrazing: Uncontrolled grazing by livestock reduces vegetation cover, depletes soil nutrients, and accelerates desertification.
- The Thar Desert in India and Pakistan has expanded due to overgrazing combined with poor land management practices.
Impacts of Land Degradation
- Reduced Agricultural Productivity: Declining soil fertility lowers crop yields, increasing the risk of food insecurity.
- According to the FAO, degraded land reduces global agricultural productivity by 12%, equivalent to a loss of $400 billion annually.
- Increased Risk of Diseases: Scarcity of clean water due to land degradation fosters water-borne diseases like cholera and dysentery.
- For example, drought-affected regions in sub-Saharan Africa face recurring outbreaks of water-related illnesses.
- Damage to Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems: Fertilizer-laden soil runoff into rivers and oceans causes algal blooms, depleting oxygen levels and harming aquatic life.
- The Ganga River suffers from nutrient pollution, leading to declining fish populations and affecting livelihoods.
- Contribution to Climate Change: Degraded soils release stored carbon and nitrous oxide, further exacerbating global warming.
- Land degradation reduces carbon sequestration capacity by 20%, as noted in the UNCCD report.
- Loss of Biodiversity: Habitat destruction caused by deforestation and urbanization threatens wildlife species.
- For instance, land conversion in the Amazon rainforest has endangered species like the jaguar and giant otter.
- Economic Losses and Livelihood Impacts: Global economic losses due to land degradation are estimated at $10.6 trillion annually, or about 17% of the world’s GDP.
- Farmers in Ethiopia lose $4 billion annually from degraded croplands, further entrenching poverty in rural areas.
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Hotspots of Land Degradation
- Regions severely affected by land degradation include South Asia, northern China, the High Plains and California in the United States, and the Mediterranean.
- Drylands, which is home to one-third of humanity, are particularly vulnerable. These areas include three-quarters of Africa.
Disproportionate Impact on Low-Income Countries
- Low-income countries, particularly in tropical and arid regions, bear a disproportionate burden of land degradation.
- Poorer nations face greater exposure to the impacts of land degradation while having lower resilience to address its challenges.
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Government Measures to Combat Land Degradation and Desertification
- Desertification and Land Degradation Atlas: Published by Space Applications Centre (SAC) of the Indian Space Research Organisation. Offers state-wise information on degraded land to aid restoration planning.
- Estimated land degradation and desertification in India: 97.84 million hectares in 2018-19.
- National Action Plan to Combat Desertification: This plan aims to:
- Restore 26 million hectares of degraded land by 2030
- Increase forest and tree cover to generate 2.5–3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent by 2030.
- Afforestation schemes:
- The National Mission for a Green India (GIM) (2014): One of the eight Missions under the National Action Plan on Climate Change.
- The Forest Fire Protection & Management Scheme (FFPM) (2017): Created to help states deal with forest fires
- Compensatory afforestation under CAMPA (2004): To ensure the efficient and transparent use of funds released for compensatory afforestation.
- National Coastal Mission Programme (2014): To ensure sustainable development of coastal regions.
- National Afforestation Programme (NAP): The scheme has been implemented since 2000 on a pan-India basis by the National Afforestation and Eco-Development Board (NAEB).
- It aims to restore degraded forests and adjoining areas through people’s participation.
- Watershed Development Component of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) (2015): To improve the landscape’s ecological rejuvenation and economic growth.
- Online Portal for Visualization: Developed in collaboration with Space Application Center (SAC), Ahmedabad.
- Allows visualization of degraded land areas and the processes causing degradation.
- Centre of Excellence at ICFRE Dehradun: Envisioned at the Indian Council for Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE), Dehradun.
- Focuses on South-South Cooperation for knowledge sharing and best practices.
- Aims to share India’s experiences in sustainable land management.
- International Cooperation: India is a party to the UNCCD and actively participates in international efforts to combat desertification.
Global Efforts
- The Bonn Challenge:
- Aims to restore 150 million hectares of deforested and degraded land by 2020 and 350 million hectares by 2030.
- Great Green Wall:
- Initiated by the Global Environment Facility (GEF).
- Eleven countries in Sahel-Saharan Africa are working to combat land-degradation and restore native plant life to the landscape.
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Way Forward to Address Land Degradation
- Promote Sustainable Agricultural Practices: Transitioning to sustainable farming techniques such as agroforestry, crop rotation, and organic farming can reduce soil erosion and chemical pollution.
- The “Zero Budget Natural Farming” (ZBNF) initiative in India has improved soil health and reduced input costs for farmers.
- Enhance Reforestation and Afforestation Programs: Large-scale afforestation projects like India’s Green India Mission can restore degraded land while improving biodiversity and carbon sequestration.
- Adopt Nature-Based Solutions (NbS): Implementing NbS such as watershed management and wetland restoration can address land degradation while providing co-benefits for water conservation and biodiversity.
Policy Recommendations of UNCCD Report:
- Embedded NbS in national drought management plans to mainstream sustainable land and water practices.
- Ensure land tenure and water rights to support local communities in implementing sustainable practices.
- Strengthen local governance to enforce effective land and water management policies.
- Promote public-private partnerships to attract investments in NbS.
- Repurpose harmful subsidies toward sustainable land and water management.
- Enhance impact data collection and monitoring to showcase the benefits of NbS, encouraging private sector investments.
- Adopt a whole-of-society approach: Governments, businesses, civil society, and academia must collaborate to build community and ecosystem resilience to drought.
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- Kenya’s Tana River Basin project reduced erosion and improved local water availability, benefiting both people and ecosystems.
- Strengthen Legal and Policy Frameworks: Governments must integrate land degradation mitigation into national policies and enforce land-use regulations.
- Leverage Technology and Data for Land Monitoring: Using satellite imagery and GIS can help track changes in land use, identify degradation hotspots, and guide restoration efforts.
- The European Space Agency’s Sentinel satellites are monitoring desertification in the Sahel region, aiding targeted interventions.
- Mobilize Financial Resources: Scaling up investments through public-private partnerships, green bonds, and repurposing harmful subsidies can address funding gaps.
- As per FAO report, repurposing $540 billion in annual global agricultural subsidies towards sustainable practices could unlock resources for combating land degradation.
- Engage Communities and Strengthen Local Governance: Involving local communities in land restoration efforts ensures ownership, better implementation, and long-term success.
- The Sukhomajri watershed project in India succeeded by incentivizing communities with improved irrigation and drinking water, leading to reduced soil erosion and enhanced forest cover.
- In Ethiopia, community-based land tenure reforms have reduced degradation by empowering locals to manage their lands sustainably.
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Conclusion
Land degradation poses a significant threat to ecosystems, livelihoods, and global sustainability. Addressing this challenge requires a coordinated approach that combines sustainable practices, technological innovation, and community participation.
- By prioritizing restoration efforts, we can secure a healthier planet for future generations while achieving key developmental and environmental goals.
December 4, 2024
