Environment ( United nation convention on combat of desertification)

United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) – For UPSC

Introduction

The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is a key international treaty that addresses the issues of land degradation, desertification, and drought (DLDD) in dryland ecosystems. It was adopted in 1994 and came into force in 1996, following the Rio Earth Summit (1992) which also led to the creation of UNFCCC and CBD. Unlike the other two Rio conventions, the UNCCD specifically targets sustainable land management to restore degraded lands and ensure food, water, and livelihood security.

Objective

The main objective of the UNCCD is:

• To combat desertification and mitigate the effects of drought through effective action at all levels.
• To promote sustainable land management (SLM) in affected regions.
• To achieve land degradation neutrality (LDN) by 2030 in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 15.3).

Key Features

1. Legally Binding Treaty – It is the only legally binding international agreement linking environment and development with sustainable land management.
2. Focus on Drylands – Targets the world’s arid, semi-arid, and dry sub-humid areas, home to over 2 billion people.
3. Bottom-up Approach – Emphasizes participation of local communities, especially farmers, pastoralists, and indigenous groups.
4. Regional Implementation – Operates through Regional Implementation Annexes for Africa, Asia, Latin America & the Caribbean, Northern Mediterranean, and Central & Eastern Europe.
5. National Action Programmes (NAPs) – Each party formulates NAPs to identify local causes of desertification and implement countermeasures.
6. Science-Policy Interface (SPI) – Facilitates integration of scientific knowledge into policy decisions.

Institutional Framework

1. Conference of the Parties (COP):
• The supreme decision-making body.
• Meets biennially to review progress, adopt decisions, and guide implementation.
• Example: COP15 (2022) held in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, focused on “Land. Life. Legacy: From scarcity to prosperity.”
3. Committee on Science and Technology (CST):
• Provides scientific advice on combating desertification.
5. Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention (CRIC):
• Reviews implementation and evaluates progress by parties.
7. Global Mechanism (GM):
• Established to mobilize financial resources for projects addressing land degradation and desertification.
9. UNCCD Secretariat:
• Based in Bonn, Germany; coordinates the Convention’s implementation globally.

India and UNCCD

• India ratified the UNCCD in 1996.
• The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) is the nodal agency.
• India hosted COP14 in New Delhi (2019) — a major milestone.
• Theme: “Restore Land to Sustain Life.”
• New Delhi Declaration (2019) was adopted, emphasizing:
• Land restoration to achieve LDN by 2030.
• Drought preparedness systems.
• Enhanced cooperation for resource mobilization.
• India’s National Action Programme (NAP, 2001) focuses on:
• Watershed management.
• Afforestation and agroforestry.
• Soil conservation and sustainable agriculture.
• India aims to restore 26 million hectares of degraded land by 2030.

Major Challenges

• Insufficient funding and technology transfer to developing nations.
• Weak enforcement and limited monitoring mechanisms.
• Increasing pressure from population growth, overgrazing, deforestation, and climate change.
• Lack of coordination among international conventions (UNFCCC, CBD, UNCCD).

Recent Developments

• Land Degradation Neutrality Fund (LDN Fund): Mobilizes private and public investments for sustainable land use projects.
• Global Land Outlook (GLO): Flagship report assessing global land health.
• Drought Initiative (2018): Supports countries in developing national drought plans.
• Integration of climate change adaptation and biodiversity conservation into land management.

Significance

• Promotes climate resilience and food security by restoring degraded ecosystems.
• Contributes to carbon sequestration, water conservation, and poverty reduction.
• Aligns with SDG Goals 13 (Climate Action) and 15 (Life on Land).
• Provides a platform for global cooperation on sustainable land management.

Conclusion

The UNCCD represents a critical international framework linking land, climate, and livelihood security. Its success depends on collective global and local actions, strong political will, and integration of science, community participation, and sustainable policy frameworks. For countries like India, combating desertification is vital to ensure ecological balance, food security, and rural livelihood sustainability by 2030.