Need to look for ‘land-based solutions’

Greater Noida

The Delhi Declaration adopted at the 14th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) has proposed land-based solutions for climate action and biodiversity conservation.
“The world needs to consider land-based solutions for climate action and biodiversity to achieve the long-term goals of the Paris Agreement,” said the two-page document adopted by over 190 countries at COP14 today.

It seeks implementation of the three Rio Conventions on Climate, Biodiversity and Desertification formed following the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 in a mutually supportive manner.
The parties to the declaration invited “development partners, international financial mechanisms, the private sector and other stakeholders to boost investments and technical support for the implementation of the convention and the achievement of land degradation neutrality, create green jobs and establish sustainable value chains for products sourced from the land.”

While it talks of “international financial mechanisms” in addressing the issue of land degradation and desertification, it fails to mention any specific institution like the Green Climate Fund (GCF), Global Environment Facility (GEF) and Adaptation Fund, which many environmentalists saw as “downplaying” of their role.

Meanwhile, the international document welcomed initiatives on targeting land degradation neutrality (LDN) by the Indian Government led by PM Narendra Modi like ‘Har Khet Ko Pani, More Crop Per Drop, National Afforestation Programme, National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojna, Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana and Soil Health Card Scheme’.

It also welcomed the proposed adoption of voluntary LDN target by India that includes restoration of degraded land and legacy programme announced to support South-South cooperation following COP. Speaking at the convention, Modi had announced restoring 26 million hectares of degraded land by 2030.

“Promote opportunities that support, as appropriate and applicable, the long-term goals of the Paris Agreement and the development of an ambitious post-2020 global biodiversity framework, taking into consideration land-based solutions for climate action and biodiversity conservation and the mutually supportive implementation of the three Rio conventions,” said the declaration with an action plan to save the planet from losing more land.

Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar, who called the document an ambitious statement of global action by each country on how to achieve LDN, said there was no question of countries backing out of their commitments because these were individual targets set by them.

Replying to queries on countries backing out of the commitments like after the Paris Agreement, Javadekar said in climate change a global action was required while COP countries had to commit to individual goals, so there was no question of backing out. The aim was to see a flawless, seamless declaration without any controversy, he said.

India was committed to ensuring more and more degraded land was restored. For this all three Rio conventions had all to work in synergy and that was also the view point of India, he added.

The parties will develop gender responsive programmes at local, national and regional levels to drive the implementation of the convention. Ibrahim Thiaw, Executive Secretary General of the UNCCD, listed four takeaways from COP. “There is a clear link between land, climate and biodiversity; investments needed on land restoration; issue of drought taken up seriously and land restoration won’t happen without putting people first.”

COP14 — 4 takeaways

Clear link between land, climate, biodiversity
Investments on land restoration required
Issue of drought taken up seriously at convention
Land restoration not without putting people first

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