India Restores 21.76 Million Hectares of Degraded Land, Achieves 84% of Bonn Challenge Target

By Mahima Katal

New Delhi, June 17: India has restored 21.76 million hectares of degraded and deforested land between 2011 and 2020, achieving nearly 84 per cent of its target under the Bonn Challenge, according to a report released by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

The report, India's Second Progress Report on the Bonn Challenge (2011–2020), reveals that Telangana recorded the highest area of restored land, followed by Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Odisha.

Launched in 2011, the Bonn Challenge is a global initiative aimed at restoring 350 million hectares of degraded and deforested landscapes by 2030. India has pledged to restore 26 million hectares of such land by the end of the decade.

The report was released during an event marking the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought 2026.

Speaking at the event, Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav said India's progress demonstrates how policy commitment, scientific innovation, and public participation can work together to drive environmental restoration and sustainable development.

Yadav noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced India's commitment to restore 26 million hectares of degraded and deforested land by 2030, describing it as one of the world's largest restoration pledges.

The minister highlighted that restoration efforts have generated approximately 1.22 billion person-days of employment across the country.

He further stated that over 27 million hectares have been treated under the Watershed Development Component of the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY), while more than 61.3 million geo-tagged natural resource management assets have been created as part of India's land restoration and conservation initiatives.

With less than a decade remaining to meet its target, India has already made substantial progress towards restoring degraded landscapes and strengthening climate resilience through large-scale ecological restoration programmes.