Land Degradation: Drivers, Impact & Restoration

UPSC Mains PYQs

Desertification & Land Degradation (2020): "Desertification is a major threat to agricultural sustainability and food security in India." Discuss the primary natural and anthropogenic causes of land degradation in India. Assess the effectiveness of NITI Aayog's GROW initiative and PMKSY-WDC in combating desertification. (15 Marks, 250 Words)

📊 High-Yield Data & Statistical Fact Sheet

Land Degradation Metrics:
- Degradation Scale: 29.77% of India's Total Geographical Area (TGA) (~97.85 Million Hectares) is classified as degraded (ISRO Desertification Atlas).
- Primary Driver: Water Erosion is the largest driver, affecting 11.01% of TGA, followed by vegetation degradation (9.15%).
- GDP Burden: Land degradation costs India ~2.54% of its GDP annually through agricultural productivity loss and soil reclamation costs.
- Global LDN Target: India is committed to restoring 26 Million Hectares of degraded land by 2030 under the UNCCD Bonn Challenge.
- Topsoil Depletion: Water and wind strip away over 5.3 Billion Tonnes of fertile topsoil annually.

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1. DRIVERS OF LAND DEGRADATION IN INDIA

Anthropogenic Drivers:
- Unsustainable Agriculture: Over-irrigation leading to waterlogging and soil salinization/alkalinity; excessive NPK chemical fertilizers causing soil acidification and microbial loss.
- Deforestation: Clearance for mining, highways, and infrastructure destabilizes topsoil and accelerates runoff erosion.
- Overgrazing: Compacts soil, reduces moisture percolation, and exposes soil structures to water and wind.
Natural and Climatic Drivers:
- Water Erosion: Sheet and gully erosion stripping topsoil during intense monsoon events.
- Wind Erosion: Dominant in arid zones (e.g., Rajasthan, Gujarat), causing sand dune movement.
- Climate Change: Prolonged dry spells and rising temperatures depletion of soil organic carbon.

NITI Aayog's GROW Initiative:
- Concept: Greening and Restoration of Wasteland with Agroforestry.
- Mechanism: Uses GIS and remote sensing data on the Bhuvan Portal to compile the Agroforestry Suitability Index (ASI) to prioritize drylands and wastelands for agroforestry projects.
WDC-PMKSY (Watershed Development Component): Focuses on ridge-to-valley soil-water conservation, farm pond construction, and springshed rejuvenation in Himalayan mountain regions.
Soil Health Card Scheme: Provides site-specific macronutrient diagnostic reports to check chemical fertilizer overuse.
Aravalli Green Wall Project: Mandates a 1,400 km long, 5 km wide green ecological corridor spanning Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Delhi to block Thar Desert expansion.

Regenerative Practices: Implementing zero-tillage, multi-species cover cropping, and agroforestry to build the Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) pool.
Invasive Species Reclamation: Clearing exotic weeds like Prosopis juliflora to restore native ecosystems (e.g., Kutch's Banni Grasslands).
Circular Organic Flow: Pyrolysising crop residues into stable biochar to lock carbon into agricultural soils and improve moisture holding capacity.

Total Degraded Area in India: 29.77% of TGA (~97.85 Million Hectares).
Largest Degradation Cause: Water Erosion (11.01% of TGA).
UNCCD Restoration Commitment: 26 Million Hectares by 2030.
NITI Agroforestry Spatial Tool: GROW Initiative (Bhuvan Portal).
Mountain Water Table Project: Springshed Rejuvenation (under PMKSY-WDC).
Thar Desert Buffer Initiative: Aravalli Green Wall Project.
Annual Topsoil Erosion Quantity: 5.3 Billion Tonnes.

Notes updated up to March 2026. Sources: ISRO SAC Atlas, NITI Aayog Reports.