India Restores 21 Million Hectares of Degraded Land

India restored over 21 million hectares of damaged and deforested land between 2011 and 2020. Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav shared this update at the UNCCD COP17 event in Mongolia. This work provided 1.22 billion days of work for people in rural areas.

Land restoration goals

Land restoration is a top priority that connects saving nature with climate action. India is working to meet its Bonn Challenge pledge to restore 26 million hectares by 2030. Key schemes helping this work include Green India Mission, which builds up forest cover and helps with climate needs, and the Nagar Van Yojana, which aims to create 1000 urban forests by 2027. These projects show that restoring the environment helps provide local work.