PM Modi to address UN dialogue on desertification, land degradation and drought

“Land is the foundation of our societies and is a cornerstone to global food security and environmental health, zero hunger, poverty eradication and affordable energy. It underpins the success of the entire 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,” the advisory said. Modi had inaugurated the high-level 14th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in New Delhi in September 2019.

The high-level dialogue next week will put the land restoration at the centre of the entire SDG agenda and for climate, biodiversity and disaster risk reduction, along the path to the UN Biodiversity Conference 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CBD COP 15), United Nations Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC COP26), UNCCD COP15, and the 2021 Food Systems Summit.

“Globally, one-fifth of earth's land area – more than 2 billion hectares – is degraded, including more than half of all agricultural land. Unless we change how we manage soil, over 90 per cent could become degraded by 2050," the UN said. "Land degradation negatively impacts one-fifth of the planet's land area and the livelihoods of 3.2 billion people, 40 percent of the global population. It accelerates climate change and biodiversity loss, and contributes to droughts, wildfires, involuntary migration and the emergence of zoonotic infectious diseases,” it said.

The UN added that one billion hectares can be restored over the next 10 years to reverse course, and power COVID-19 recoveries and provide livelihoods at a time when hundreds of millions of jobs are at risk. The Dialogue aims to focus the international community's attention on land issues and generate political will for implementing land solutions within COVID-19 adaptation and recovery strategies.