New Delhi

India has made significant progress towards its land restoration commitments under the Bonn Challenge, with 21.76 million hectares already brought under restoration initiatives against the national target of 26 million hectares by 2030, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said on Wednesday.

The Bonn Challenge, launched in 2011, is a global effort aimed at restoring degraded and deforested landscapes worldwide, with a collective goal of rehabilitating 350 million hectares of land by 2030.

Speaking at an event organised to mark the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, Yadav said the country's restoration programmes have not only improved ecosystems but also generated substantial livelihood opportunities.

"These restoration efforts have created nearly 1.22 billion person-days of employment, contributing significantly to rural livelihoods," the minister said.

Highlighting various government initiatives, Yadav noted that more than 27 million hectares have been treated under the watershed development component of the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY). In addition, over 61.3 million geo-tagged natural resource management assets have been developed across the country.

The minister also outlined progress under major afforestation and ecological restoration programmes. He said greening and restoration activities have covered approximately 1.7 lakh hectares under the Green India Mission, while afforestation work supported through Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) has been carried out on nearly 3.20 lakh hectares during the past five years.

During the event, the government released a special edition of the journal Indian Forester along with India's Second Progress Report on the Bonn Challenge (2011–2020).

The special publication of Indian Forester focuses on sustainable land management, ecosystem restoration and achieving land degradation neutrality. It also highlights research findings, policy perspectives and practical experiences, with particular emphasis on the restoration of rangelands and grasslands.

The Bonn Challenge progress report documents restoration activities undertaken across states and Union territories and assesses their environmental as well as socio-economic impacts. The report also outlines India's continuing efforts to strengthen ecosystem resilience, restore degraded landscapes and achieve long-term land degradation neutrality goals.

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According to officials, the report serves as a comprehensive account of the country's progress in meeting international commitments on environmental restoration while supporting livelihoods and climate resilience.