India plans to restore 26 million hectares of degraded land by 2030, Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said in a statement at the United Nations Biodiversity Summit on the sidelines of the 75th United Nations General Assembly.
Mr. Javadekar made his statement online.
India’s forest and tree cover, over the decade, encompassed nearly 25% of its geographical area.
India had doubled its tiger count (from 2010) ahead of the prescribed deadline of 2022.
India had organised two major conventions on biodiversity — a global convention on desertification in 2019 and another in February on migratory species — underlining the country’s commitment to biodiversity, he said in his address.
The summit on biodiversity was convened by UN secretary general António Guterres on the sidelines of the General Assembly aimed to build political momentum and bolster financial commitments ahead of talks next year in China.
