World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought 2026

Why in News?

India observed the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought on 17 June 2026 across 813 project areas under the Watershed Development Component of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana 2.0 (WDC-PMKSY 2.0).

The nationwide programme was coordinated by the Watershed Management Division of the Department of Land Resources (DoLR) under the Ministry of Rural Development. The observance highlighted India’s efforts towards land restoration, water conservation, drought mitigation, and sustainable rural development.

What is World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought?

The World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought (WDCDD) is observed annually on 17 June to raise awareness about the challenges of desertification, land degradation, and drought.

Background

Particular	Details
Proclaimed By	United Nations General Assembly
Year of Proclamation	1994
First Observed	1995
Associated Convention	United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)
Observance Date	17 June Every Year

The day promotes sustainable land management and encourages countries to adopt measures for restoring degraded ecosystems.

Global Theme for 2026

Theme: “Rangelands: Recognize. Respect. Restore.”

The theme emphasizes the importance of conserving and restoring rangeland ecosystems that support biodiversity, livestock production, food security, and climate resilience.

Global Host Country

Kenya is hosting the global observance of World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought 2026.

What are Rangelands?

Rangelands are natural landscapes dominated by grasses, shrubs, and sparse vegetation that are primarily used for grazing livestock and wildlife.

Major Types of Rangelands

• Grasslands
• Savannahs
• Shrublands
• Tundra ecosystems
• Open grazing landscapes

Importance of Rangelands

• Support biodiversity.
• Provide livelihoods to pastoral communities.
• Act as carbon sinks.
• Prevent soil erosion.
• Improve ecosystem resilience against climate change.

Globally, rangelands cover nearly half of the Earth’s land surface and support millions of people.

WDC-PMKSY 2.0: India’s Watershed Development Programme

What is WDC-PMKSY 2.0?

The Watershed Development Component of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana 2.0 is a flagship programme aimed at restoring degraded lands through watershed-based interventions.

Duration: 2021–2026

Financial Outlay: ₹8,134 crore

Coverage Target: 49.50 lakh hectares of degraded land

Objectives of WDC-PMKSY 2.0

The programme seeks to:

• Restore degraded landscapes.
• Improve soil health.
• Enhance water conservation.
• Increase groundwater recharge.
• Promote sustainable agriculture.
• Strengthen climate resilience in rural areas.

Major Activities Under WDC-PMKSY 2.0

Soil Conservation

Measures include:

• Contour bunding
• Terracing
• Vegetative barriers
• Check dams

Water Conservation

Activities focus on:

• Rainwater harvesting
• Farm ponds
• Percolation tanks
• Groundwater recharge structures

Land Restoration

• Afforestation
• Pasture development
• Agroforestry
• Reclamation of degraded land

Activities Conducted on 17 June 2026

The nationwide observance witnessed large-scale public participation and community-led watershed activities.

Key Achievements

Activity	Number
New Watershed Works (Bhoomi Poojan)	1,444
Completed Watershed Assets (Lokarpan)	8,341
Saplings Planted under Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam	51,299

Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam Campaign

The campaign encourages citizens to plant a tree in honour of their mothers.

Objectives

• Promote environmental awareness.
• Increase green cover.
• Strengthen community participation in ecological restoration.
• Support climate change mitigation efforts.

The plantation of over 51,000 saplings during the observance reflects the growing emphasis on people’s participation in environmental conservation.

National Pledge for a Drought-Free India

Participants across project areas took a public pledge under the theme:

“For a Developed India, Let Us Build a Drought-Free India”

The pledge highlighted the importance of:

• Water conservation.
• Sustainable land management.
• Climate resilience.
• Community participation.

Understanding Desertification

What is Desertification?

Desertification refers to land degradation in arid, semi-arid, and dry sub-humid regions caused by climatic variations and human activities.

Major Causes

• Deforestation
• Overgrazing
• Unsustainable farming practices
• Excessive groundwater extraction
• Climate change

Impacts

• Reduced agricultural productivity.
• Water scarcity.
• Biodiversity loss.
• Increased poverty and migration.

United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)

The UNCCD is the primary international agreement dealing with land degradation and drought.

About UNCCD

Particular	Details
Adopted	1994
Entered into Force	1996
Headquarters	Bonn, Germany
Membership	Nearly Universal
Focus	Desertification, Land Degradation and Drought

Significance

UNCCD is one of the three Rio Conventions adopted after the 1992 Rio Earth Summit.

The Three Rio Conventions

Convention	Focus Area
UNFCCC	Climate Change
Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)	Biodiversity Conservation
UNCCD	Desertification and Land Degradation

These conventions collectively address major environmental challenges facing the world.

Importance of Watershed Development

Watershed development has emerged as one of the most effective strategies for sustainable rural development.

Benefits

Water Security

Improves groundwater recharge and availability of irrigation water.

Agricultural Productivity

Enhances crop yields and farm incomes.

Climate Resilience

Reduces vulnerability to droughts and extreme weather events.

Employment Generation

Creates livelihood opportunities in rural areas.

Ecological Restoration

Supports biodiversity conservation and land restoration.

India’s Commitment to Land Restoration

India has made significant commitments under global environmental frameworks.

Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN)

India has pledged to restore millions of hectares of degraded land by 2030 under the UNCCD framework.

Related National Initiatives

• WDC-PMKSY 2.0
• National Afforestation Programme
• Green India Mission
• Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam Campaign
• Atal Bhujal Yojana

Important Facts for Exams

Topic	Fact
Observance Date	17 June
First Observed	1995
Proclaimed By	UN General Assembly (1994)
Global Theme 2026	Rangelands: Recognize. Respect. Restore.
Global Host 2026	Kenya
Indian Programme	WDC-PMKSY 2.0
Financial Outlay	₹8,134 Crore
Coverage Target	49.50 Lakh Hectares
New Works Launched	1,444
Assets Inaugurated	8,341
Saplings Planted	51,299

Remeber:

UNCCD (United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification) is one of the three Rio Conventions and serves as the principal international legal instrument addressing desertification, land degradation, and drought.