India has brought 21.76 million hectares of degraded land under restoration, moving steadily towards its commitment of restoring 26 million hectares by 2030 under the Bonn Challenge, Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav said on Wednesday.
Addressing an event to mark the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought at Indira Paryavaran Bhawan in New Delhi, Yadav said India’s experience demonstrates how policy commitment, scientific innovation and public participation can work together to drive environmental restoration and sustainable development.
Highlighting the country’s progress, the Minister said restoration activities have generated nearly 1.22 billion person-days of employment, underscoring the socio-economic benefits of ecosystem recovery initiatives.
The Bonn Challenge, launched in 2011, is a global effort aimed at restoring 350 million hectares of degraded and deforested landscapes worldwide by 2030. India had announced its commitment to restore 26 million hectares of degraded and deforested land by the end of the decade, one of the largest restoration pledges globally.
Yadav said several flagship programmes have contributed significantly to the country’s restoration efforts. Under the Watershed Development Component of the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana, more than 27 million hectares have been treated, while over 61.3 million geo-tagged natural resource management assets have been created across the country.
Under the Green India Mission, greening and restoration activities have been undertaken across nearly 1.7 lakh hectares, while CAMPA-supported initiatives have helped carry out afforestation over around 3.20 lakh hectares during the last five years.
The Minister said India’s community-based conservation efforts remain among the largest in the world, with Joint Forest Management covering 81.53 million hectares. In addition, over 1.21 lakh hectares have been brought under agroforestry, while bamboo plantations outside forest areas now cover nearly 60,000 hectares.
Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign, Yadav said more than 266 crore saplings have been planted across the country. He also highlighted the growing role of technology platforms such as Bhuvan, VEDAS and Yuktdhara in supporting science-based planning and monitoring of restoration programmes.
The Minister noted that the Aravalli Green Wall Initiative has exceeded its annual targets during the financial year 2025-26. Under the MISHTI programme, the government has set a target of restoring 54,000 hectares of mangrove cover by 2028.
He further stated that more than 260 million Soil Health Cards have been issued to farmers nationwide, helping promote sustainable land-use practices and prevent desertification.
Speaking on this year’s theme, “Rangelands: Recognize. Respect. Restore.”, Yadav stressed the importance of grasslands and rangelands in biodiversity conservation, livestock-based livelihoods, carbon sequestration and climate resilience.
According to the India Desertification and Land Degradation Atlas, around 97.85 million hectares, or 29.77 per cent of India’s geographical area, is affected by land degradation and desertification. The Minister noted that India’s drylands alone extend across nearly 228 million hectares, making their restoration critical for agriculture, livestock and rural livelihoods.
On the occasion, Yadav released a special issue of Indian Forester and India’s Second Progress Report on the Bonn Challenge (2011-2020), which documents restoration efforts across States and Union Territories and highlights their ecological and socio-economic benefits.
The event brought together around 200 participants, including representatives from government agencies, research institutions, international organisations, development partners and civil society groups. Discussions focused on India’s progress under the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), opportunities to achieve Land Degradation Neutrality and strategies for restoring grasslands and degraded ecosystems.
