The 15th Conference of Parties (CoP15) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) began on 9th May in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
- The CoP15 will is being held from 9 to 20 May 2022 with the theme ‘Land. Life. Legacy: From scarcity to prosperity’.
Drought in Numbers, 2022 report
- During the conference, the Drought in Numbers, 2022 report was released on May 11.
- As per the report, the frequency and duration of drought is increasing at an alarming rate across the world since the onset of the 21st century.
- India has featured in the assessment as one of severely drought-impacted countries.
- Nearly 2/3rd of the country suffered drought during 2020-2022.
- India features on the Global Drought Vulnerability Index, which is part of the assessment. Geographically, India’s drought vulnerability compares with that of sub-Saharan Africa.
- India’s drought-prone area has increased by 57 per cent since 1997.
- One-third of India’s districts have faced more than four droughts over the past decade and 50 million people are affected by drought every year.
About UNCCD
- The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is the sole legally binding international agreement linking environment and development to sustainable land management.
- The Convention addresses specifically the arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas, known as the drylands, where some of the most vulnerable ecosystems and peoples can be found.
- The UNCCD was adopted in Paris on 17 June 1994 and entered into force on 26 December 1996, 90 days after the 50th ratification was received.
- 197 countries and the European Union are Parties as at May 2021.
- The Conference of the Parties (COP), which is the Convention’s supreme governing body, held its first session in October 1997 in Rome, Italy.
- India became a signatory to UNCCD on 14th October 1994 and ratified it on 17th December 1996.
- The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change is nodal Ministry of Convention.
COP 14 (India)
- The 12-day 14th Conference of Parties (COP14) to the UNCCD was held in September 2019 at India Expo Centre & Mart, Greater Noida.
- During the conference, India had set a target to restore 26 million hectares of land by 2030.
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