'Drones to plant seeds in inaccessible areas can help combat land desertification'

Innovations like drones to plant seeds in inaccessible areas can make a huge difference, an official of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) said on Wednesday.

Addressing delegates from various countries at the 14th Conference of Parties (COP 14) to UNCCD at Greater Noida, Deputy Executive Secretary Pradeep Monga said there was a strong frugal innovation ecosystem in India that only needs an enabling environment.

"Innovations like drones to plant seeds in inaccessible areas can make a huge difference in land agenda," he said.

Monga was speaking at a side event organised by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) India at the COP 14 which entered its third day on Wednesday and will go on till September 13.

Delegates from 196 countries are attending the conference which is taking place at the India Expo Mart, Greater Noida, to discuss a way forward to combat land desertification.

Desertification is a type of land degradation in which a relatively dry area of land becomes desert, typically losing its bodies of water as well as vegetation and wildlife.

An estimated 7,200 participants, including ministers and representatives of governments, non-government and inter-governmental organisations, from 197 countries are attending the event.

During this COP, the ministers from nearly 100 countries are expected to announce their targets for land restoration and agree on measures to address the related emerging threats of forced migration, sand and dust storms, and on actions to strengthen resilience to droughts.

During the last COP in China in 2017, countries had agreed on a 12-year strategy to contain runaway land degradation that is threatening global food and water supply.