India Calls for Sustained Global Finance for Land Restoration

• India urged diversified and predictable global finance for land restoration and drought resilience.

• Bhupender Yadav highlighted India’s blended green finance framework at UNCCD CoP17 in Mongolia.

• Green Credit Programme and Sovereign Green Bonds showcased as key financing tools.

• India stressed land restoration is an investment in food security, biodiversity and livelihoods.

GG News Bureau
New Delhi/Ulaanbaatar, 24th Aug: India has called for diversified, adequate, predictable and sustained international finance to accelerate land restoration and strengthen drought resilience during the 17th Conference of Parties (CoP17) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

Addressing the Ministerial Dialogue on “Innovative Financial Mechanisms for Healthy Land and Drought Resilience”, Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav highlighted India’s innovative financing architecture that combines public investment, private participation and community engagement for restoring degraded landscapes.

Yadav said land restoration should be viewed as a long-term investment rather than an expenditure.

“Land restoration is not a cost, but an investment in food, water, biodiversity, livelihoods and long-term resilience,” he said.

The minister stressed that tackling desertification, land degradation and drought on a global scale requires financing mechanisms that go beyond government budgets and encourage stronger public-private partnerships.

India showcases green finance initiatives
Bhupender Yadav presented India’s blended green finance framework, which supports climate adaptation, sustainable land use, afforestation, forestry, biodiversity conservation and sustainable agriculture.

He highlighted Sovereign Green Bonds as an important instrument for mobilising capital for environmental and climate priorities, including land restoration and drought resilience.

The minister also showcased India’s Green Credit Programme, under which public and private entities can finance the restoration of degraded forest land. Green credits are issued after five years of successful restoration once a minimum canopy density of 40 percent is achieved. These credits can subsequently be used for compensatory afforestation, statutory plantation requirements and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) commitments.

Whole-of-government approach to restoration
Yadav said India’s compensatory conservation framework channels funds collected from forest diversion projects into afforestation and ecosystem restoration, ensuring long-term environmental benefits.

He emphasised that integrating public finance, private investment and citizen participation creates a “Whole-of-Government and Whole-of-Society” approach for restoring landscapes and improving ecological resilience.

“Finance must be continuous, verifiable and connected to local communities,” he said, adding that India’s domestic efforts demonstrate what sustained investment can achieve.

Call for stronger international support
While highlighting India’s initiatives, the minister said domestic resources alone cannot meet the scale of global restoration challenges. He urged the international community to provide additional, predictable and sustained financing for countries facing desertification and drought.

Reaffirming India’s commitment to global cooperation, Yadav said the country is ready to share its institutional experience, safeguards and lessons learned in implementing large-scale land restoration programmes.

He concluded by stating that the success of innovative finance should ultimately be measured by its ability to restore ecosystems and improve the lives of communities most affected by land degradation and climate change.