India Restores 21.76 Million Hectares Degraded Land, Nears 2030 Bonn Challenge Goal

India has achieved a major milestone in its land restoration efforts by bringing 21.76 million hectares of degraded land under restoration , moving close to its 26 million hectare target by 2030 under the global Bonn Challenge , the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change announced on Wednesday.

The progress was highlighted by Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav during an event marking the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, observed under the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in New Delhi.

Yadav said India’s restoration strategy is driven by a combination of policy commitment, scientific innovation and community participation , adding that such efforts have generated around 1.22 billion workdays of employment across the country.

India’s commitment under the Bonn Challenge includes restoring 26 million hectares of degraded and deforested land by 2030 , making it one of the world’s largest ecological restoration pledges.

The Ministry said large-scale restoration has been supported through multiple national programmes, including over 27 million hectares under watershed development projects, 61.3 million geo-tagged natural resource management assets, and extensive afforestation under the Green India Mission and Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority.

Community-driven forest management also plays a major role, with Joint Forest Management covering 81.53 million hectares , while agroforestry and bamboo plantation initiatives have further expanded green cover. The government also highlighted the plantation of over 266 crore saplings under campaigns such as “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” .

Officials said advanced digital platforms like Bhuvan, VEDAS and Yuktdhara are strengthening science-based monitoring and planning of restoration activities.

The Aravalli Green Wall Initiative has exceeded its annual targets in 2025–26, while the MISHTI programme aims to restore 54,000 hectares of mangroves by 2028 , strengthening coastal resilience.

India’s drylands, spanning around 228 million hectares , include nearly 97.85 million hectares affected by land degradation and desertification , highlighting the scale of environmental stress. The government also reported issuance of over 260 million Soil Health Cards to support sustainable land use.

On the occasion, the Ministry released a Special Issue of Indian Forester and India’s Second Progress Report on the Bonn Challenge (2011–2020), outlining ecological and socio-economic gains from restoration efforts.

Representatives from the United Nations Development Programme and other stakeholders emphasized stronger collaboration, nature-based solutions and innovation to achieve Land Degradation Neutrality and climate resilience.