Sambhav-2025

Approach / Explaination / Answer

Introduction

Desertification refers to land degradation in arid, semi-arid, and dry sub-humid regions due to factors like climate change, deforestation, and unsustainable land use. India, with nearly 30% of its land affected by desertification, faces serious threats to biodiversity and food security. Tackling desertification is crucial for sustainable development and environmental conservation.

Body

Impact of Desertification on Biodiversity:

• Loss of Habitat and Species Extinction: Desertification leads to soil degradation, reduced vegetation cover, and shrinking habitats, causing biodiversity loss.
  • Species dependent on forests, wetlands, and grasslands face severe survival challenges due to habitat fragmentation.
• Decline in Pollinators and Microbial Diversity: Loss of vegetation affects pollinators like bees and butterflies, impacting crop productivity.
  • Soil microbial diversity declines, reducing nutrient availability for plant growth.
• Increased Invasive Species and Altered Ecosystems: Degraded lands encourage invasive species, which outcompete native flora and fauna, disrupting ecological balance.
  • Reduction in water bodies affects aquatic biodiversity, further intensifying ecosystem degradation.

Impact of Desertification on Food Security:

• Decline in Agricultural Productivity: Soil erosion, loss of soil fertility, and water scarcity reduce crop yields, impacting food availability.
  • Drought-prone regions like Rajasthan and Bundelkhand face recurrent crop failures due to land degradation.
• Water Scarcity and Reduced Irrigation Potential: Desertification leads to declining groundwater levels and drying rivers, making irrigation difficult.
  • Desert expansion in states like Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh exacerbates agricultural distress.
• Threat to Rural Livelihoods and Food Prices: Declining agricultural output leads to loss of income for farmers and rural communities.
  • Food shortages drive higher prices, affecting access to nutritious food, particularly for vulnerable populations.

India’s Efforts to Combat Desertification:

• National Action Plan to Combat Desertification (NAPCD): Focuses on afforestation, sustainable land use, and soil conservation strategies.
  • Implements watershed management and agroforestry initiatives to restore degraded land.
• Desertification and Land Degradation Atlas of India: Published by ISRO’s Space Applications Centre, mapping land degradation patterns for targeted interventions.
• UNCCD Commitment & Bonn Challenge: India pledged to restore 26 million hectares of degraded land by 2030 under the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).
  • Part of the Bonn Challenge, aiming for large-scale afforestation and ecosystem restoration.
• Green India Mission & CAMPA Fund: Promotes forest conservation and reforestation to enhance carbon sequestration and biodiversity protection.
  • Compensatory Afforestation Programme (CAMPA) funds afforestation efforts to offset deforestation impacts.
• Watershed Development and Agroforestry Initiatives: Programs like PM Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) and National Agroforestry Policy improve soil moisture retention and sustainable agriculture.
  • Rajasthan and Gujarat have adopted drought-resistant crops and water conservation techniques to combat desertification.

Conclusion

Desertification poses severe threats to biodiversity, food security, and rural livelihoods, making it a pressing environmental challenge. India’s multi-pronged approach, including afforestation, sustainable agriculture, and international commitments, is crucial for land restoration. Strengthening community participation, scientific interventions, and policy enforcement can help achieve a land degradation-neutral India.