Saudi Arabia’s Land Restoration Model

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