World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought was observed at the Regional Research Station of Central Arid Zone Research Institute, Leh on June 17.

Dr. R.K. Goyal, Principal Scientist, and Head In-charge said that the theme for this year's World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought is “Rising up from drought together” which is very topical. He said that the theme of the year 2022 focuses on reclaiming degraded land into healthy and fertile land. The main objective of this day is to find out viable solutions for combating desertification. There’s an urgent need to restore the degraded land which in turn will help bring economic resilience, raise income and ensure the food security of India and the world.

Dr. Mahesh K. Gaur, Principal Scientist informed that Ladakh and Gilgit districts with an area of 15.2 million hectares are part of the cold arid eco-region of India. Agro-climatically, it represents the area of the north-western Himalayas. Ladakh Union Territory alone covers about 72% area of the cold arid zone of India. About 58% area of Leh district is occupied by sandy/rocky/gravelly land-use class whereas about 11% area is under snow/ice. About 24% of the district area is under water and wind erosion. Dr. Gaur further said that droughts have been an integral part of human and natural systems. But the intensity and occurrence have highly worsened nowadays, mainly due to an increase in anthropogenic activities. The recent series of droughts point to a dangerous future, particularly for the cold arid zone like Ladakh. Food and water shortages, as well as wildfires caused by severe droughts, have all increased in recent years.

Observing the day, a tree plantation program was organized at the newly established Integrated Farming System (IFS) Block at Stakna farm under the guidance of Dr. Dipankar Saha, Dr. M.B. Noor Mohmad, and Er. Changchuk Lamo, Scientist. All the Scientific, Technical, and Field Workers of the Station participated and planted trees.