India successfully achieved its initial Bonn Challenge target of restoring over 21.75 million hectares (mha) of degraded and deforested land and is on track to meet the second target.
During the release of "India’s Second Progress Report on the Bonn Challenge: 2011 – 2020 Assessment of Progress in Restoration Efforts Across the States and Union Territories," Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said India is on the to achieve additional 5 mha target set by 2030.
The Bonn Challenge, launched in 2011, a global effort to bring 150 mha of degraded and deforested land into restoration by 2020 and 350 million hectares by 2030. Launched in 2011, it translates international climate and biodiversity commitments into on-the-ground action.
Yadav highlighted that land restoration not only protects the environment but also generates over 1.22 billion person-days of employment.
In 2015, India undertook one of Asia’s largest pledges, aiming to restore 13 million hectares (ha) of degraded and deforested land by 2020 and an additional eight million hectares by 2030.
With political and financial resources for the restoration of millions of hectares across the world, India’s 2030 target has been enhanced to 26 million hectares.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi enhanced the target in 2019, total restoration target to 26 mha to achieve it by 2030, during COP 14 of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), held in September 2019. Over the past decade, India has taken promising steps to realise this ambitious vision.
Among states, Telangana is at the top of the table in restoring degraded and deforested land followed by Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Gujarat.
The minister highlighted that more than 27 million hectares have been treated under the watershed development component of the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana and over 61.3 million geo-tagged natural resource management assets have been created.
"Greening and restoration activities have been undertaken across around 1.7 lakh hectares under the Green India Mission, while afforestation has been carried out over around 3.20 lakh hectares through CAMPA-supported activities during the past five years," he said.
The Bonn Challenge report documents restoration efforts across states and Union territories, highlights their ecological and socio-economic benefits, and reflects India's continued efforts towards forest landscape restoration, land degradation neutrality, and ecosystem resilience.
