Bonn Challenge: India’s Journey Towards Restoring Degraded Landscapes

Introduction

Land degradation, deforestation, desertification, and biodiversity loss have become some of the biggest environmental challenges of the 21st century. Degraded ecosystems not only reduce agricultural productivity but also threaten biodiversity, water security, livelihoods, and climate resilience. Recognizing the urgent need for ecological restoration, the global community launched the Bonn Challenge in 2011—one of the world’s largest forest landscape restoration initiatives.

India has emerged as one of the leading contributors to this global effort. According to the Second Progress Report on the Bonn Challenge, released on 17 June 2026 by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), India restored 21.7 million hectares of degraded and deforested land between 2011 and 2020.

This achievement represents significant progress toward India’s ambitious target of restoring 26 million hectares by 2030.

What is the Bonn Challenge?

The Bonn Challenge is a global initiative aimed at restoring degraded and deforested landscapes across the world through sustainable forest management and ecological restoration.

It was launched in 2011 by the Government of Germany and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) during a ministerial conference held in Bonn, Germany.

The IUCN serves as the Secretariat of the Bonn Challenge and coordinates restoration commitments made by participating countries.

Unlike conventional afforestation programmes that focus only on planting trees, the Bonn Challenge promotes Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR)—a holistic approach that restores ecological integrity while improving human well-being.

Objectives of the Bonn Challenge

The initiative aims to restore:

The challenge encourages countries, states, businesses, indigenous communities, and civil society organizations to voluntarily commit to restoring degraded landscapes.

Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR)

The Bonn Challenge follows the principle of Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR).

The concept of FLR was introduced by the IUCN and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in 2000.

Forest Landscape Restoration aims to:

• Restore ecological functionality
• Improve biodiversity conservation
• Increase forest productivity
• Enhance livelihoods of local communities
• Strengthen climate resilience
• Improve water security
• Reduce soil erosion
• Promote sustainable agriculture

Rather than planting monoculture forests, FLR restores entire landscapes through a combination of forests, wetlands, grasslands, agroforestry, and sustainable land-use practices.

Importance of the Bonn Challenge

The Bonn Challenge contributes directly to several global environmental commitments.

It supports:

• United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021–2030)
• Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
• Paris Climate Agreement
• Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
• Aichi Biodiversity Targets
• United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)

It also supports climate mitigation by increasing carbon sequestration and enhancing ecosystem resilience.

India’s Bonn Challenge Commitment

India joined the Bonn Challenge with an ambitious restoration pledge.

Initially, India committed to:

• Restore 13 million hectares of degraded land.
• Restore an additional 8 million hectares by 2030.

However, during the 14th Conference of Parties (COP-14) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) held in India in 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi revised India’s commitment.

Revised Target

This revision reflected India’s increasing commitment towards climate action and sustainable land management.

India’s Progress Report (2026)

According to the Second Progress Report on the Bonn Challenge (2026):

Total Restoration Achieved

21.7 million hectares of degraded and deforested land were restored between 2011 and 2020.

The restoration was achieved through multiple approaches:

• Planted forests
• Natural regeneration
• Silviculture
• Agroforestry
• Mangrove restoration

This means India has already achieved more than 83% of its 2030 target.

Carbon Sequestration Achieved

Restoration efforts have significantly contributed to climate change mitigation.

The report estimates:

• 461.14 million tonnes of carbon sequestered.
• Accounting for plantation mortality, the effective sequestration stands at 343.66 million tonnes of carbon.

The Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) sector continues to play a critical role in absorbing atmospheric carbon dioxide and helping India meet its climate commitments under the Paris Agreement.

Status of Land Degradation in India

Despite progress, land degradation remains a serious concern.

Nearly one-third of India’s geographical area continues to experience varying degrees of land degradation.

Leading States in Land Restoration

The report identifies several states that have made remarkable progress.

Telangana emerged as the leading state by restoring 4.18 million hectares of land.

Factors Behind India’s Success

India’s achievements are largely driven by the convergence of multiple national and state-level programmes.

Major contributors include:

• Compensatory Afforestation Fund (CAMPA)
• Green India Mission
• National Afforestation Programme
• Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS)
• State-level afforestation initiatives
• Community participation
• Agroforestry expansion
• Mangrove restoration

The integration of employment schemes with ecological restoration has generated both environmental and socio-economic benefits.

Major Government Initiatives for Land Restoration

1. Green India Mission (GIM)

Launched in 2014, the Green India Mission is one of the eight missions under India’s National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC).

Objectives

• Increase forest cover
• Restore degraded ecosystems
• Improve ecosystem services
• Enhance carbon sinks
• Improve livelihoods of forest-dependent communities

2. Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam Campaign

Launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, this nationwide campaign encourages every citizen to plant at least one tree in the name of their mother.

Objectives

• Increase public participation
• Promote environmental awareness
• Enhance tree cover
• Strengthen emotional connection with nature

3. Aravalli Green Wall Initiative

The Aravalli Green Wall Project seeks to restore degraded landscapes across the Aravalli mountain range.

Key Features

Objectives

• Combat desertification
• Improve groundwater recharge
• Increase biodiversity
• Reduce dust storms
• Restore degraded forests

4. Compensatory Afforestation Fund (CAF) Act, 2016

Under this Act, project developers diverting forest land for non-forest purposes are required to pay compensatory charges.

The funds are utilized through CAMPA (Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority).

Achievements

• Approximately 3.20 lakh hectares of afforestation completed during the last five years through CAMPA-supported activities.

5. Watershed Development Component of PMKSY

The Watershed Development Component under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) focuses on restoring degraded natural resources.

Objectives

• Soil conservation
• Rainwater harvesting
• Groundwater recharge
• Vegetative regeneration
• Prevention of soil erosion
• Sustainable agriculture

Benefits of Land Restoration

Successful landscape restoration provides multiple environmental and socio-economic benefits.

Environmental Benefits

• Increased biodiversity
• Carbon sequestration
• Reduced desertification
• Improved soil fertility
• Better groundwater recharge
• Flood control
• Climate resilience

Economic Benefits

• Increased agricultural productivity
• Employment generation
• Sustainable livelihoods
• Eco-tourism opportunities
• Forest-based income

Social Benefits

• Food security
• Water security
• Improved health
• Community participation
• Reduced rural distress

Challenges Ahead

Despite substantial progress, India continues to face several challenges.

• Large-scale land degradation
• Climate change impacts
• Forest fires
• Urban expansion
• Mining activities
• Encroachment
• Fragmented forest landscapes
• Limited monitoring of restoration quality
• Balancing development with conservation

Ensuring long-term survival of restored forests and maintaining ecological integrity remain critical.

Way Forward

To achieve the 2030 target, India should focus on:

• Expanding community-led restoration programmes
• Promoting agroforestry and sustainable agriculture
• Strengthening monitoring using GIS and remote sensing
• Increasing investment in ecological restoration
• Encouraging private sector participation
• Restoring wetlands, grasslands, and mangroves alongside forests
• Enhancing convergence between climate and biodiversity programmes
• Building climate-resilient landscapes

UPSC Prelims Facts

• Launch Year: 2011
• Launched By: Government of Germany and IUCN
• Secretariat: IUCN
• 2020 Target: 150 million hectares
• 2030 Target: 350 million hectares
• India’s Revised Pledge: 26 million hectares by 2030
• Land Restored by India (2011–2020): 21.7 million hectares
• Leading State: Telangana (4.18 million hectares)
• Carbon Sequestered: 461.14 million tonnes
• Concept Promoted: Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR)
• Related Global Agreements: SDGs, Paris Agreement, CBD, UNCCD, UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration