Funding the Future: India's Green Mission at UNCCD

In a bid to combat desertification, India's Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav emphasized the necessity of adequate financing at the 16th UNCCD conference. Highlighting India's achievements and initiatives, he underscored the importance of financial support for sustainable land restoration and agriculture, urging a mobilization of additional resources.

In a pivotal address, India's Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav underscored the vital role of financing in realizing the objectives of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). Speaking at the 16th UNCCD conference in Riyadh, he highlighted India's success in restoring 22.5 million hectares of degraded land, nearing the 2030 target of 26 million hectares.

Yadav pointed to the World Drought Atlas as a critical tool for guiding financial resource mobilization. India is leveraging programs such as the Green Credit Programme and microfinance for farmers to bolster sustainable agriculture. These initiatives aim to integrate industry and regional rural banks in revitalizing degraded lands with local community involvement.

Despite these strides, Yadav stressed the need for additional financial resources to enhance India's Green India Mission, which employs a landscape-based approach for multi-sectoral land restoration. He called for increased resource allocation to ensure the continued success of these environmental efforts.

(With inputs from agencies.)