Saudi Arabia’s Land Restoration Model

Brief Context

Context The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification reported that Saudi Arabia has restored nearly one million hectares of degraded land and is being seen as a model for large-scale land reclamation in water-scarce and desertified regions. Extent of Global Land Degradation Land degradation refers to the decline in land productivity due to factors such as soil erosion, salinisation, deforestation, and unsustainable land use. Approximately 40% of the global land surface is degraded, wi

Source Content

Syllabus: GS3/ Environment

Context

• The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification reported that Saudi Arabia has restored nearly one million hectares of degraded land and is being seen as a model for large-scale land reclamation in water-scarce and desertified regions.

Extent of Global Land Degradation

• Land degradation refers to the decline in land productivity due to factors such as soil erosion, salinisation, deforestation, and unsustainable land use.
• Approximately 40% of the global land surface is degraded, with the majority located in dryland regions and affecting nearly three billion people globally by undermining food security, water availability, and livelihoods.
• According to the Desertification and Land Degradation Atlas 2021, approximately 97.85 million hectares, roughly 29.77% of India’s total geographical area, underwent land degradation during 2018-19.

Saudi Arabia model for land restoration

• Cloud Seeding Initiatives: Artificial enhancement of rainfall has been used to improve water availability in arid regions. It has supported vegetation growth and soil moisture restoration.
• Early Warning Systems: Advanced forecasting systems for sand and dust storms have reduced environmental and economic damage. These systems enhance disaster preparedness and climate resilience.
• Expansion of Protected Areas: Protected areas have been expanded to conserve biodiversity and prevent further land degradation. Ecosystem restoration has improved soil fertility and land productivity.

Causes of Land Degradation

• Climatic Variability: Prolonged droughts reduce soil moisture and vegetation cover, making land vulnerable to degradation.
• Soil Erosion: Wind erosion is dominant in arid and semi-arid regions, leading to loss of topsoil.
  • Floods, cyclones, and landslides degrade land by altering soil structure and removing vegetation.
• Deforestation: Removal of forest cover for agriculture, urbanisation, and industry exposes soil to erosion.
• Industrialisation: Expansion of industries and cities leads to land sealing and loss of fertile land. Mining activities remove topsoil and leave behind degraded landscapes.

Government Initiatives to Prevent Land Degradation

• Soil Health Card Scheme: It provides farmers with soil nutrient status reports to encourage balanced fertilizer use and improve productivity.
• Promotion of Organic Farming: Initiatives like Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) encourage organic farming practices to maintain soil health.
• National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA): It focuses on enhancing soil health through integrated farming systems and agroforestry practices.
• Green India Mission: It aims to increase forest and tree cover by 5 million hectares and improve the quality of forest cover in another 5 million hectares.
• National Afforestation Programme: It supports the afforestation, reforestation, and eco-restoration of degraded forests and non-forest lands. 

Global Initiatives

• Global Soil Partnership (GSP): It is an FAO-led initiative to improve global soil governance and promote sustainable soil management.
• The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) has a pledge for land degradation neutrality (LDN) by 2030. 
• 4 per 1000 Initiative: It aims to increase soil carbon stocks by 0.4% annually to combat climate change and enhance soil health.

Concluding remarks

• Restoring land is not only an environmental necessity, it is a pathway to resilience, stability and prosperity.
• Sustained commitment towards land restoration not only combat desertification but also foster inclusive growth, stability, and long-term prosperity.

Source: DTE