Question

what is being done to tackle the 150 millions hectaraes of land which are prevently affected by soil erosion?

Answer 1

About 30 % of the world’s arable land has become unproductive as 60 % of its soil has been washed away and deposited in rivers, streams and lakes, that has made these water bodies prone to flooding and contamination with pesticides present in soil. Once soil is lost, those areas become desertified. It takes many centuries of careful work to once again make these lands productive.

Answer 2

India has brought an area of 9.8 million hectares of deforested and degraded land under restoration since 2011, in its effort to fulfil its commitment to the global Bonn Challenge, according to the latest report on India’s progress. While there was a sudden decrease in the area being restored after 2012-13, the restored area increased again in 2016-17.

The restoration work is part of The Bonn Challenge, a global effort under which countries have committed to bringing 150 million hectares of deforested and degraded land into restoration by 2020 and 350 million hectares by 2030. It was launched in 2011 by the Government of Germany and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

As per estimates, restoration of 150 million hectares will lead to “approximately US$84 billion per year in net benefits that could bring direct additional income opportunities for rural communities” and restoration of 350 million hectares will generate about US$170 billion per year in net benefits from watershed protection, improved crop yields and forest products.

In December 2015 at the Paris Climate Summit, India made a pledge to restore 13 million hectares of degraded land by 2020 and an additional eight million hectares by 2030. It was one of the first countries in Asia to join the global commitment.