Desertification, land degradation, and drought are major drivers of migration, according to India at the UN Climate Change Conference

*Paromita Das
Desertification, land degradation, and drought (DLDD) are factors driving migration, India said on Saturday at the UNCCD’s 15th international conference in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, West Africa.

Jigmet Takpa, India’s Joint Secretary for Environment, stated in a statement that the youth are most likely to face migration and that engaging them is critical to restoration efforts for resilient and sustainable food systems.

After presiding over the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) COP 15 for two years, India urged Cote d’Ivoire to prioritize integrated land-use planning as well as improving green and blue infrastructure for sustainable development.

Climate and environmental changes, in addition to desertification, land degradation, and drought, may cause migration.

He stated that in rural areas affected by DLDD, livelihood opportunities should be provided through land restoration activities.

According to the Indian official, a stronger symbiotic urban-rural linkage must be established, with on-farm and off-farm employment provided to vulnerable groups such as women, rural youth, refugees, and internally displaced people.
“Youth are most likely to face migration, and engaging youth in restoration efforts for resilient and sustainable food systems is critical,” he said.

The Ministry of Home Affairs’ Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner is the designated authority in India that compiles information on migration based on data compiled during national censuses, which are usually held every ten years.

According to the official, one of the notable achievements of watershed development programmes implemented by the Department of Land Resources, Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India, is the reduction of human migration.
A watershed is a swath of land that separates water flowing into different rivers, basins, or seas.

“Approximately 60% of the money spent in each watershed goes toward labour, which generates significant employment for the local landless, small, and marginal farming communities.”

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“The use of machinery in watershed activities is kept to a minimum so that employment opportunities are preserved and human migration from watershed project areas is minimised,” Takpa said.
On Friday, Indian Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav spoke at the BRICS high-level meeting on Climate Change, emphasizing the importance of the forum in addressing climate change together, exploring approaches to accelerate low-carbon and resilient transitions, and achieving sustainable recovery and development.

The goal of COP15 is to restore 1 billion hectares of degraded land between now and 2030, as well as to discuss how to deal with droughts, sand and dust storms, wildfires, and other disaster risks.

More than 2,000 delegates from 196 countries are attending UNCCD COP 15, which began on May 9 and is expected to end on May 20.