Why this matters now
This is tested for the causes/impacts, the UNCCD and Land Degradation Neutrality, India’s status, and restoration pledges — a high-yield land/environment topic.
What they are
Land degradation is the long-term loss of an ecosystem’s productivity; desertification is land degradation in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid (drylands) areas — it is not the expansion of existing deserts but the creation of desert-like conditions.
Causes and impacts
Causes: deforestation, overgrazing, unsustainable farming, over-extraction of water, soil erosion (water/wind), salinisation, and climate change. Impacts: falling agricultural productivity, food and water insecurity, biodiversity loss, dust storms, poverty and migration.
UNCCD, LDN and India
The UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is the global framework, with the goal of Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN). Nearly a third of India’s land is degraded. India has pledged to restore land (a Bonn Challenge commitment) and uses programmes for afforestation, watershed development, and sustainable land management (Green India Mission, MGNREGA works).
UPSC angle
Know desertification (drylands, not desert expansion) vs land degradation, causes (deforestation/overgrazing/erosion/salinity), the UNCCD and Land Degradation Neutrality, and India’s ~1/3 degraded land + restoration pledges.
Frequently asked questions
What is desertification?
Land degradation in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas — the creation of desert-like conditions, not the spread of existing deserts.
What causes land degradation?
Deforestation, overgrazing, unsustainable farming, soil erosion, salinisation and climate change.
What is the UNCCD?
The UN Convention to Combat Desertification — the global framework, working toward Land Degradation Neutrality.
How much of India’s land is degraded?
Roughly a third of India’s total land area is affected by land degradation.