Parliament Question: Desertification Control and Climate Adaptation in Arid Regions

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4916 TO BE ANSWERED ON 23.03.2026 Desertification Control and Climate Adaptation in Arid Regions 4916. SHRI RAHUL KASWAN: Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state: (a) the extent of land under desertification in the country with the percentage increase during the last decade, State/UT-wise along with the measures undertaken under the National Action Programme to Combat Desertification; (b) the funds allocated and utilised for desertification control in Rajasthan during the last three years along with coverage under afforestation and soil conservation programmes, district-wise; (c) the climate adaptation measures implemented in Churu district in view of temperatures exceeding 50°C, including heat action plans, water conservation infrastructure and disaster preparedness initiatives; and (d) whether the Government proposes to establish Climate Resilience Centres in extreme heat zones and if so, the proposed timeline for inclusion of Churu district with focus on sustainable agriculture and land management? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH) As per the Desertification and Land Degradation Atlas of India (2018-19) (a) & (b) published by Space Applications Centre (ISRO), about 97.85 million hectares (29.7%) of the total geographical area of the country is undergoing land degradation/desertification. The State/UT wise details are provided at Annexure I. The National Action Plan to Combat Desertification, 2023 emphasizes the need for a synergistic, efficient planning and implementation of the eco- restoration initiatives in the country by converging all afforestation schemes in the country to provide the much- needed impetus and focus on sustainable management of forest and natural resources available in the specific landscape, and an effective planning and a wider selection of vulnerable and potentially vulnerable sites capable of supporting progressive and sustainable eco-restoration interventions. The Plan emphasizes on convergence of the various schemes for restoration of the degraded land and does not have any provision for financial assistance The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has launched a number of afforestation schemes/programmes which also address the problem of land degradation and desertification, namely the Green India Mission (GIM), Nagar Van Yojana (NVY), School Nursery Yojana(SNY), the Eco-Development Forces (EDF) scheme, the National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change (NAFCC) and funds under the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) which are utilized for control of desertification through afforestation, water conservation and management in arid areas including Rajasthan. The State Government of Rajasthan implements the Climate Change and Combating Desertification (CC&CD) programme for combating land degradation and desertification. The budget allocation under this programme for the last three years was ₹11,747.24 lakh in 2022–23, ₹17,701.41 lakh in 2023–24, and ₹13,228.65 lakh in 2024–25, respectively. The details as provided by the State are, given at Annexure -II. (c) & (d) Climate adaptation measures in arid regions including Churu, are implemented through convergence of Central and State Government schemes. These include preparation and implementation of plans to reduce heat-related risks; water conservation interventions such as rainwater harvesting, check dams, farm ponds and rejuvenation of traditional water bodies; promotion of micro-irrigation and efficient water use practices; adoption of climate-resilient agricultural practices including drought-tolerant crop varieties and crop diversification; afforestation, shelterbelt and sand dune stabilisation to address land degradation; and strengthening of disaster preparedness, early warning systems and community awareness. At present, there is no specific scheme for establishment of dedicated Climate Resilience Centres. However, climate resilience and adaptation are being addressed under ongoing programmes such as the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA), Green India Mission (GIM), National Innovations on Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA), and State Action Plans on Climate Change (SAPCCs). The Government continues to support States, including Rajasthan, in enhancing climate resilience in vulnerable districts, including extreme heat-prone areas such as Churu, through integrated and convergent approaches. *****Annexure-I Annexure referred to in reply of part (a) & (b) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 4916 regarding ‘Desertification Control and Climate Adaptation in Arid Regions’ raised by Shri Rahul Kaswan due for reply on 23.03.2026. Total Area Total Area Percentage Percentage under under Area under Area under Desertification Desertification Desertification Desertification State Name 2011-13 (Ha) 2018-19 (Ha) 2011-13 2018-19 1 Andhra Pradesh 2298758 2378042 14.35 14.84 2 Arunachal Pradesh 153933 200683 1.84 2.4 3 Assam 716596 834530 9.14 10.64 4 Bihar 694809 746586 7.38 7.93 5 Chhattisgarh 2211153 2306531 16.36 17.06 6 Delhi 89868 91543 60.6 61.73 7 Goa 192973 194877 52.13 52.64 8 Gujarat 10261641 10248057 52.29 52.22 9 Haryana 338964 364154 7.67 8.24 10 Himachal Pradesh 239420 240300 43.01 43.11 11 Jammu and Kashmir 1064721 1129503 19.67 20.86 12 Jharkhand 5498726 5482260 68.98 68.77 13 Karnataka 6951000 6959847 36.24 36.29 14 Kerala 379587 422299 9.77 10.87 15 Madhya Pradesh 3804315 3859735 12.34 12.52 16 Maharashtra 13825935 14306029 44.93 46.49 17 Manipur 601959 612566 26.96 27.44 18 Meghalaya 494880 557576 22.06 24.86 19 Mizoram 187453 275827 8.89 13.08 20 Nagaland 786678 828943 47.45 50 21 Orissa 5304114 5359014 34.06 34.42 22 Punjab 144653 167989 2.87 3.34 23 Rajasthan 21526512 21237665 62.9 62.06 24 Sikkim 78749 84610 11.1 11.92 25 Tamil Nadu 1543898 1599981 11.87 12.3 26 Telangana 3598856 3638508 31.34 31.68 27 Tripura 437128 447378 41.69 42.66 28 Uttar Pradesh 1528997 1549608 6.35 6.43 29 Uttarakhand 648253 673894 12.12 12.6 30 West Bengal 1733931 1784345 19.54 20.1 Total 96404853 97854851 29.32 29.77 Source: Desertification and Land Degradation Atlas of India 2021 (https://vedas.sac.gov.in)Annexure-II Annexure referred to in reply of part (a) & (b) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 4916 regarding ‘Desertification Control and Climate Adaptation in Arid Regions’ raised by Shri Rahul Kaswan due for reply on 23.03.2026. District wise details of plantation activities under various schemes in Rajasthan in last three years: Rs. In lakhs Name of the Scheme/Programme: Climate Change and Combating Desertification S.No. District/ Year 2022-23 2023-24 2024-25 1 Ajmer 78.51 163.51 186.15 2 Barmer 1017.37 1266.52 1366.78 3 Bikaner 1737.52 2847.27 2159.12 4 Churu 241.21 262.89 126.2 5 Ganganagar 1202.3 1778.2 1435.81 6 Hanumangarh 1192.73 1320.5 1095.41 7 Jaisalmer 2689.63 4535.2 4195.4 8 Jalore 117.4 177.87 126.1 9 Jhunjhunu 724.11 864.88 380.95 10 Jodhpur 371.21 793.44 674.11 11 Nagaur 1114.11 1588.65 876.12 12 Pali 4.98 4.33 3.14 13 Sikar 1143.35 1287.78 536.24 Total 11634.43 16891.04 13161.53 *****