India strengthens efforts to combat desertification at Jodhpur National Workshop

India strengthens efforts to combat desertification at Jodhpur National Workshop

Commemorating World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought 2025, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) organized a one-day national workshop at the Arid Forest Research Institute (AFRI) in Jodhpur, Rajasthan. Themed “Strategies for Combating Desertification and Drought,” the event highlighted sustainable land management in India’s arid and semi-arid regions, with a special focus on the ecological importance of the Aravalli Mountain range.

Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav, the chief guest, underscored India’s proactive approach to tackling desertification. He pointed out the adverse effects of unsustainable agricultural practices, excessive fertilizer use, and indiscriminate pesticide application, which jeopardize land health, food security, and biodiversity. “Healthy land is essential for regional stability and economic prosperity,” Yadav declared, calling for global collaboration to address land degradation.

Yadav highlighted several initiatives aimed at restoring ecological balance, such as the revival of water bodies through Amrit Sarovars to support biodiversity and combat desertification, the Matri Van campaign encouraging tree planting in the Aravalli region in honor of mothers to foster a cultural bond with nature, and the nationwide Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam movement, launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to plant trees as a tribute to ‘Mother Earth.’ He emphasized the Aravalli range’s critical role as a 700-km natural barrier spanning 29 districts, protecting regions from the advancing Thar Desert while preserving India’s cultural and ecological heritage. Shri Yadav advocated for community-driven restoration efforts and expressed confidence in achieving a green economy by 2047, harmonizing ecological sustainability with economic progress.

Union Minister for Tourism and Culture, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, also spoke at the event, commending India’s progress in expanding forest cover despite global declines. He described the Aravallis as vital for water conservation, groundwater recharge, and biodiversity preservation, serving as a shield for Eastern Rajasthan, Haryana, and the National Capital Region against desertification. Acknowledging the efforts of local communities in environmental conservation, he stressed the shared responsibility to safeguard this heritage for future generations.

The workshop featured the release of several key resources, including an information booklet on Aravalli districts, the revised mission document of the Green India Mission, a book on Sustainable Land Management (SLM), and the National Afforestation Monitoring System (NAMS). Additionally, Yadav distributed AFRI Shesham clones to ten farmers.

Technical sessions explored sustainable land management, global and national case studies presented by partners such as UNDP, ADB, and the World Bank, and the Aravalli Green Wall Project, which fosters inter-state collaboration for ecological restoration. Discussions on Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) emphasized multi-stakeholder efforts involving state governments, NGOs, and research institutions like SAC and CAZRI.