India's Environment Minister inaugurates COP 14 in New Delhi


COP 14  of the UNCCD inaugurated 

By Malini Shankar (Digital Discourse Foundation).

New Delhi 2.09.19 

Welcoming the global gathering at the inauguration of the 14th Conference of Parties of the United Nations’ Convention to Combat Desertification in Noida’s India Expo Mart on Monday 2nd September 2019  India’s Environment Minister Prakash Javdekar said India has now presumed the presidency of Conference of Parties of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification.

In his inaugural address Javdekar declared that India has increased forest cover to 24% of the landmass in the last five years. But he left it to Minister of State in the Ministry of Environment Forests and Climate Change to deal with facts of neutralising land degradation and increasing forest cover in India. 

Further, spelling out the geological reasons for land degradation including “earthquakes, landslides, drought floods,” and anthropogenic factors including “deforestation, wetland damage, over grazing, unsustainable land use planning and practices, and the expansion of agricultural industrial and urban areas” the minister emphasised the urgent need for sustainable development and land use planning to include water food and livelihood security for the have-nots.

“About 40% of the world’s population are now living in water scarce regions. About 25% of all land globally is highly degraded because of land degradation. Displacement also takes place in some places. 36% of Carbon is stored in dry lands mainly soils. Thus dry lands are pivotal in the global fight against Climate Change and Desertification” Javdekar added.

Dwelling on the subcontinent’s challenges in neutralising land degradation as in other emerging economies the Minister said “India is the seventh largest country as you know with 2.5 % of the world’s landmass and 17% of the world’s human population, 20% of the world’s cattle population, both require and land and water. And we have only 4 % of fresh land and water. Still we have 24% of tree cover and forest cover.  And in the last five years we have increased that cover by 15000 square kilometres. Once you start greening more, you restore the land automatically. That is how things happen”.

How do we achieve that? … we guess .. is best left to imagination given the lack of political will for this right across the globe. Brazilian President Bolsanaro’s belligerent handling of forest fires in the Amazon – long considered the lungs of the planet – has only underscored the inequitable and wholly unsustainable economic development of the former colonies. The Brazilian President rebuffed G 7 leaders’ call to oust the forest fires by saying Europe ought to reforest the developed continent. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/brazil-amazon-fires-g7-aid-offer-bolsonaro-macron-summit-a9079831.html

The political class the world over seems clueless about inclusive horizontal economic growth without putting at stake the green wealth of the Blue Planet. COP 14 of the UNCCD will seek effectively – at least – to highlight the need for environmental consciousness and will try valiantly to usher in sustainable economic development.

To view the webcast of India’s Environment Minister’s inaugural speech click <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcVkSeZ1sqw>   



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