landNEW DELHI: Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Karnataka are among the states that are witnessing high levels of land degradation, reveals a report submitted by the Indian government to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). The report emphasised that land productivity of nearly 100,000 square kilometres of area under tree cover had either declined or was under stress due to reasons such as deforestation and over-exploitation.
The report, submitted by the Indian government in August 2018, also revealed that the total land area under water bodies across the country had decreased from 118,960,32 square kilometres in 2005 to 118,469,61 square kilometres in 2015. The UNCCD is the custodian agency for Sustainable Development Goal indicators related to degraded land. In June 2014, on the world day to combat desertification, India’s environment minister had announced the country’s commitment to achieving land degradation neutrality by 2030.
The report submitted by the Indian government reveals that several states are witnessing change in land cover due to various factors. For instance, the Aravalli Range in Rajasthan shows severe degradation in grasslands, there are losses in cropland in Maharashtra, tree cover loss in the Western Ghats in Karnataka, and cropland losses in Saurashtra, Gujarat.
It also provided estimates of land productivity dynamics for areas where land conversion to a new land cover type had taken place. The report noted a declining trend on 781,383 square kilometres of tree-covered areas, 279,229 square kilometres of grasslands, 1,811,493 square kilometres of croplands, and 17,898 square kilometres of wetlands between the years 2000 and 2013.
Under the UNCCD, countries are striving to improve the condition of affected ecosystems, combat desertification and land degradation, promote sustainable land management, and contribute to land degradation neutrality. According to information given to Parliament in July 2018 by the Centre, 96.40 million hectares—29.32 per cent of the geographical area of the country—was undergoing land degradation during 2011-13.