Framing land degradation and restoration policy in India following the IPBES pathway

Abstract

In the face of ongoing land resource degradation and climate change challenges, environmental protection has become a global priority. In India, where per capita land availability is already half the world average, about 91.2 million hectares (27.7% of the land area) are degraded. Inadequate scientific data, community engagement, and coordination among planning, research, and implementing agencies hinder the country's land restoration programs. A robust policy and regulatory framework, a central coordinating institution, and interconnected institutional relationships are needed to address these issues. The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) offers a policy framework to complement existing governmental policies and to help restore degraded lands by addressing nature, ecosystem services, and the quality of life. The essence of this framework lies in spotlighting its contributions to people while orchestrating land restoration initiatives across different scales. The approach hinges on integrating empirically grounded scientific insights alongside indigenous and local knowledge (ILK). A renewed initiative is recommended for land degradation assessment along with its impact on biodiversity and ecosystem functions following the IPBES pathway. Developed scientific databases, models, and information, including ILK, should be employed to construct an all-encompassing policy that defines the role of all participating institutions, advances ecosystem functions, and positively contributes to nature and human well-being.