India to be 'land degradation neutral' by 2030: Javadekar

Recognising that India's food security is under threat due to fast desertification of land, Narendra Modi government today announced an ambitious programme to combat the challenge and make the country "land degradation neutral" by 2030.
Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said that the objective of the land degradation neutrality is to maintain or improve the condition of land resources through the sustainable management of soil, water and biodiversity.
"In India, we are facing the problem of degradation of land, desertification of the land and creation of wasteland. All these are major challenges as it impacts the livelihood.
As the Modi Government has decided that the poverty eradication is the main objective of this government, to that end we must make the country degradation neutral by 2030," Javadekar said.

The Minister was speaking as the chief guest on the occasion of "World Day to Combat Desertification" organised by the Environment Ministry and Indian Council for Forestry Research and Education. 'Land belongs to the Future, Let's Climate Proof it' was the theme of the programme.
He said that the Environment Ministry will take a lead in cooperatng with the Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Rural Development, Ministry of Water Resources and other Ministries concerned to chart out a detailed programme to combat the challenge of desertification with the participation of people.

"Our Govt does things differently. We ll tk People's movement, Ppl's participation in Development & Environment Protection," the Minister tweeted after the programme.

"Together we can...Together we can stop Desertification...Together we can make India Land degradation NEUTRAL.
"With People's participation, by 2030, India will be Land Degradation Neutral," he said in a series of tweets.
Land degradation neutrality was born out of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) where member states recognised the need for urgent action to reverse land degradation.
The concept also embraces the restoration of degraded natural and semi-natural ecosystems that provide vital, albeit indirect, services to people and working landscapes.