Capturing currents

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing the high level ministerial segment at the 14 th  Conference of Parties of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Noida near New Delhi on Monday 9 th  September 2019:  Photo credit: Angeles Estrada IISDENB By Malini Shankar,  Digital   Discourse   Foundation  New Delhi: 9.09.19 India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi today called for urgent political action to boost ground water conservation and replenishment while addressing the high level ministerial segment at the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification’s (UNCCD) 14 th Conference of Parties in Noida near New Delhi today. Mr. Modi pledged to restore an additional five million hectares of degraded land in India by 2030, raising the land to be restored in India to 26 million hectares. The pledge to restore degraded lands is part of India’s commitment to achieve land degradation neutrality, a flagship initiati...

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 2 nd 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 inc...

Full Transcript of India’s Environment Minister Prakash Javdekar’s inaugural speech Friends I welcome Ibrahim Thiaw Executive Secretary UNCCD, my ministerial colleague Babul Supriyo and delegations who have come from all over the world. I welcome you in this beautiful city of Delhi Actually this is Noida a city which is very near Delhi as it is a suburb but it is in Uttar Pradesh. But welcome. You will find Delhi very interesting. And you will also move around and enjoy the city because that much time you will have in between. Ladies and Gentlemen I will extend heartfelt welcome to all dignitaries on the Dias, and participants addressing this occasion today at India Expo Mart in Greater Noida from today to 13 th September. As I told you Delhi is ancient city with tremendous history that has seen many dynasties and empires. It is therefore a multicultural and cosmopolitan city. Let me inform you that because of its history it has more than 1000 monuments marking the histories of m...