World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought 2026
Why in News?
The day was observed on 17 June 2026 across 813 project areas in India under the Watershed Development Component of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana 2.0 (WDC-PMKSY 2.0).
2026 Official Theme & Core Focus
- The Official Slogan: The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) designated the official 2026 theme as: “Rangelands: Recognize. Respect. Restore.”
- Recognize: Spotlighting rangelands (grasslands, shrublands, savannahs, and tundras) that cover more than 50% of the Earth's land surface and support two billion people.
- Respect: Drawing global respect toward the traditional knowledge and ecological stewardship of indigenous peoples and pastoral communities.
- Restore: Driving aggressive financial investment into community-led water management, sustainable grazing, and reversing vegetation loss.
India's National Actions & Celebrations
- WDC-PMKSY 2.0 Deployment: India observed the day across 813 project areas under the Watershed Development Component of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana. The ongoing program aims to restore 49.50 lakh hectares of degraded domestic land.
- Massive Structural Asset Launch: To mark the occasion, the Ministry of Rural Development executed the Bhoomi Poojan for 1,444 new watershed works and dedicated 8,341 completed water conservation assets to local communities.
- Green Canopy Push: Under the nationwide “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” environmental campaign, communities successfully planted 51,299 fresh tree saplings in a single day.
- National Anti-Drought Pledge: Local governance systems and Panchayati Raj Institutions nationwide administered a public pledge under the local motto: "For a Developed India, Let Us Build a Drought-Free India."
Vital Global Facts & Ecological Alarm Bells
- Food System Vulnerability: Rangelands generate nearly 70% of global livestock feed, making their protection directly linked to international food security.
- Human Impact Scale: Anthropogenic climate change and unsustainable land management practices are actively threatening the direct livelihoods of 3.2 billion people globally.
- The 2050 Drought Projection: UN scientific models highlighted during the 2026 forum reveal that without immediate land-degradation neutrality, severe droughts will impact over three-quarters (75%) of the global population by 2050.
- The COP17 Horizon: The discussions generated during the June 17 events serve as a critical policy bridge to the upcoming UN Sustainable Land Management Conference (COP17), scheduled to take place in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
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