India Urges Community-Led Rangeland Restoration at UNCCD COP17

Union Minister Bhupender Yadav advocated for community-led and science-based rangeland restoration during the 17th Conference of Parties (COP17) of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Speaking at a ministerial dialogue, Yadav urged the international community to view pastoralists as custodians of ecosystems rather than mere beneficiaries.

Yadav detailed India's management of 10 million hectares of permanent pastures, highlighting the integration of traditional conservation systems, such as the Orans sacred groves in Rajasthan, with modern satellite-based Desertification and Land Degradation Atlases. He specifically cited the Banni grassland in Gujarat and the cheetah introduction programme in Kuno as examples of scientific planning and community participation.

Beyond restoration, Yadav called for a shift from reactive relief to proactive, technology-enabled drought resilience, emphasizing the use of crop insurance and satellite assessments to protect vulnerable farmers. On the sidelines of the conference, he met with Maldives Minister Ali Shareef to discuss environmental conservation.

India's call for predictable international financing for land restoration coincided with the announcement of a USD 1.3 billion financial package by global stakeholders at the conference. Yadav offered to share India's solutions through South-South cooperation to help developing countries achieve Land Degradation Neutrality.