Question

The total degraded land in our country is?
A) 133 million hectares
B) 130 million sq. km
C) 140 million hectares
D) 130 million hectares

Answer 1

Hint: Land, like air and water, is a critical resource for humanity. Food insecurity, rising food costs, climate change, environmental dangers, and the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services are all exacerbated by land degradation, which is defined as the deterioration or loss of the productive potential of soils for the present and future.

Complete answer:
Land degradation is one of the world's most serious environmental issues, and it will only get worse unless immediate action is taken. Around a quarter of the world's total land area has been degraded. Land degradation releases soil carbon and nitrous oxide into the atmosphere, making it one of the most significant contributors to climate change.

Our country has 130 million hectares of degraded land. India has joined the “Bonn Challenge,” a global initiative to restore 150 million hectares of deforested and damaged land by 2020, and 350 million hectares by 2030. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change's National Afforestation & Eco Development Board (NAEB) Division is implementing the "National Afforestation Programme (NAP)" for ecological restoration of degraded forest regions, with over 2 million ha approved for afforestation.

The land in India is being degraded or desertified. According to a report-cum-atlas published by ISRO's Space Applications Centre, it accounted for 29.3 percent of total land in 2011-2013, up 0.57 percent from 2003-2005. The main factors that have resulted in land degradation have been soil erosion owing to water and wind, as well as the degradation of vegetation cover.

The total degraded land in our country is 130 million hectares. Therefore the correct answer is option ‘D’

Note: In 2011-2013, nearly 90% of states had an increase in land degradation, particularly in Delhi and the northeastern regions, compared to 2003-2005, while four states saw minor decreases. Experts suggest that reclaiming damaged lands will necessitate a stringent land-use policy and improved watershed management programmes.