Dry as dust

has increased by 22 times the size of Delhi in the past 15 years. Rainfed farmlands and forests form a major chunk of this wasteland

- KIRAN PANDEY & RAJIT SENGUPTA

LOSING LAND

Land degradation, defined as decline in productivity of land in terms of biodiversity and economy resulting from various causes including climate and human-induced factors, ails all the states in the country

ALMOST 30 per cent of the country's landmass is undergoing degradation, suggests the Desertification and Land Degradation Atlas of India, released in June this year by the Indian Space Research Organisation. The report, made public this August, defines degradation as a decline in productivity in terms of biodiversity and economy due to various causes including climate and human dominance. Degradation in dryland regions is called desertification. While almost all states have reported an increase in such wasted land in the past 15 years, the most rapid increase has taken place in the biodiversity-rich northeastern states.

The report, in a way, highlights the stiff challenge India needs to overcome if it wishes to achieve its target of becoming land degradation neutral by 2030, as announced by the Prime Minister in September 2019 at the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. The country also plans to restore 26 million hectares(ha) by 2030.