NEW DELHI: India has successfully restored 21.7 million hectares of degraded land, advancing toward its voluntary global commitment of restoring 26 million hectares by 2030, as per the country's second progress report on the Bonn Challenge. The report was released on Wednesday, which marks the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought.
State-Wise Restoration Achievements
Among Indian states, Telangana led the restoration efforts by reclaiming 4.2 million hectares of degraded land. It was followed by Madhya Pradesh with 3.8 million hectares, Odisha with 2.6 million hectares, Gujarat with 1.7 million hectares, and Andhra Pradesh with 1.6 million hectares.
About the Bonn Challenge
The Bonn Challenge is a voluntary global restoration initiative launched in 2011. It calls on nations to restore 350 million hectares of degraded ecosystems by 2030 as part of a broader objective to achieve land degradation neutrality.
According to the India Desertification and Land Degradation Atlas, approximately 97.8 million hectares, or nearly 29.8% of the country's geographical area, are affected by land degradation and desertification. About 82% of India's degraded land is concentrated in nine states and union territories: Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka, Jharkhand, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, and Telangana.
Government's Approach and Initiatives
Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, while releasing the progress report, emphasized that India's approach demonstrates how the convergence of policy commitment, scientific innovation, and public participation can make environmental restoration an effective pathway to sustainable development. India has been restoring degraded land through afforestation, water resource management, sustainable farming practices, agroforestry, mangrove restoration, and natural regeneration of formerly forested areas.
Yadav highlighted that the 'Aravalli Green Wall' initiative has emerged as a significant landscape-level restoration program, surpassing its annual targets during the financial year 2025-26. This initiative aims to increase green cover in the 5 km buffer zone around the Aravalli Hill Range across 29 districts in four states and union territories: Delhi, Rajasthan, Haryana, and Gujarat.
The minister noted that India's priorities include landscape-level restoration, drought resilience, science-based monitoring, community participation, nature-based solutions, and innovative financing mechanisms for restoration.
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About the Author: Vishwa Mohan is Senior Editor at The Times of India. He writes on environment, climate change, agriculture, water resources, and clean energy, tracking policy issues and climate diplomacy. He has been covering Parliament since 2003 to observe how politics shapes domestic policy and India's global stance. Before focusing on sustainable development, Vishwa covered internal security and investigative agencies for over a decade.
