Take a look at the essential events, concepts, terms, quotes, or phenomena every day and brush up your knowledge. Here’s your knowledge nugget for today Green India Mission and Land degradation. Knowledge Nugget: Green India Mission Subject: Environment and Government Schemes (Relevance: Why in the news? The Union Government on June 17 released a revised roadmap for the National Mission for Green India, also known as the Green India Mission. In addition to the core objectives of increasing and restoring forest and green cover, the mission will focus on restoration in the Aravalli ranges, Western Ghats, Himalayas and mangroves. Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav released the revised document for 2021-2030 period at Jodhpur at an event marking the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought. In this context, let's know about the Green India Mission (GIM) and understand land degradation and desertification. Key Takeaways : 1. The National Mission for a Green India or GIM was launched in 2014 as one of the eight missions under India’s National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC). Its main objective is to combat climate change by increasing forest and tree cover, and the ecological restoration of degraded ecosystems and forests. 2. It also aims to improve the livelihoods of communities dependent on forest produce. One of the core objectives of the mission was to increase forest and tree cover on 5 million hectares and improve the quality of forest cover on another 5 million hectares. 3. The activities under GIM are concentrated in states based on mapping of ecological vulnerability, potential for sequestration (the process by which plants and trees store carbon using photosynthesis), forest and land degradation, and restoration potential. 4. In the revised GIM plan, a central focus will be on the restoration and saturation of vulnerable landscapes through regionally conducive best practices. It will include area and landscape-specific restoration activities in three important mountain ranges – the Aravallis, the Western Ghats, and the Indian Himalayas, along with the mangrove ecosystems. For example, GIM interventions will be synced with the Centre’s recently launched Aravalli Green Wall project. Aravalli Green Wall Project It is aimed at combating the degradation and desertification in one of the world’s oldest mountain ranges, which acts as a natural barrier against the Thar desert. 5. The revised mission document also projected, based on estimates of the Forest Survey of India (FSI), that India could achieve a carbon sink of 3.39 billion tonnes, from the combination of all restoration activities. This will require an increase in forest and tree cover over an estimated 24.7 million hectares. BEYOND THE NUGGET: India State of Forest Report 2023 1. The 18th biennial State of Forest Report (ISFR-2023) was released by Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav in December last year at the Forest Research Institute in Dehradun. The ISFR is released biennially and involves forest cover mapping of the country using satellite data. 2. India’s green cover has exceeded the 25% threshold with 8,27,357 sq km (25.17%) of the country now under forest (21.76%) and tree (3.41%) cover. Of this, 4,10,175 sq km is classified as dense forests. 3. The net forest cover has increased by 156.41 sq km between 2021 and 2023 taking the geographical area under forest cover to 21.76 per cent, a paltry rise of 0.05 per cent compared to the 2021 assessment. With the increase in the net forest area, the total area under the forest cover is now 7,15,342.61 sq km. 4. There is the sharpest growth in tree cover. It has increased from 2.91% in 2021 to 3.41% in 2023 leading to an increase of 1,285.4 sq km. The total green cover put together has increased by 1,445.81 sq km, compared to 2021, covering a geographical area of 25.17 per cent. 6. ISFR-2023 shows that 3,913 sq km of dense forests — an area larger than Goa — have disappeared in India in just two years since 2021. This is consistent with the worsening trend over the past two decades: 17,500 sq km of dense forests were wiped out between 2013 and 2023, while 7,151 sq km disappeared between 2003 and 2013. Post Read Questions (1) What is/are the importance of the ‘ United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification’ ? (UPSC CSE 2016) 1. It aims to promote effective action through innovative national programmes and supportive international partnerships. 2. It has a special/particular focus on South Asia and North Africa regions, and its Secretariat facilitates the allocation of a major portion of financial resources to these regions. 3. It is committed to bottom-up approach, encouraging the participation of local people in combating the desertification. Select the correct answer using the code given below: (a) 1 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 1 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 (2) Consider the following: 1. Industrial and mining activities 2. Demographic pressure 3. Frequent Droughts 4. Deforestation How many of the above are the causes of land degradation? (a) Only one (b) Only two (c) Only three (d) All four Answer key 1. (c) 2. (d) Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter. Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – Indian Express UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X. 🚨 Click Here to read the UPSC Essentials magazine for June 2025. Share your views and suggestions in the comment box or at manas.srivastava@indianexpress.com🚨
