DESERTIFICATION DAY: Download our print cover for free
On the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, download our 2019 print coverage on the issue for free
Desertification setting in across a quarter of India
Another 30% of the county’s land is undergoing degradation. What does this mean for the country where more than 60% people depends on agriculture? Read more
Soiled Dhule land is shallow, unfit for plantation
This Maharashtra district, one of India’s land degradation hotspots, struggles with soil erosion coupled with low forest cover, illegal felling of timber and overgrazing. Here's more
Mining erodes soil, water table dips in Jharkhand
Water table in Barkitand village of Giridih district has fallen from 8 metre below the ground level in 2013 to about 10 m in 2017. Click here to read more
Mining monstrous for Goa, but urbanisation digs a bigger hole
Lack of planning has potential of becoming the biggest degrader of land in Goa. For more, click here
Slash-and-burn farming destroys Nagaland
Experts blame shifting cultivation for land degradation as about 20,000 hectares of forest is felled every year in the state for it. Read more
Where are Himalayan springs?
Rapidly disappearing springs will eventually impact rivers and cause desertification in the plains. Read the full story
Ananthapuramu in Andhra is so sandy it draws filmmakers to shoot
Dwindling rainfall, dependence on borewell for water-guzzling horticulture increase soil aridity. Click here to read the full story
Less snow, more rain ail Himachal Pradesh's Kinnaur
Water guzzling apple orchards and rampant tourism is affecting the state. Read more
How a faulty government scheme degraded Gujarat's Banni grasslands
Introduction of a non-native plant, Prosopis juliflora, in the region on the recommendation of the third Planning Commission to fight salinity, worsened the ecology and increased desertification. Read the full story
Canal, tubewells make saline Jaisalmer green
Increasing agricultural activity reversed soil erosion in the district. Here's the full story
Infographic: What triggers desertification in India
A low down on the most important causes behind desertification in every state of the country. Addressing these will be critical to meet targets for Land Degradation Neutrality by 2030. Click here to see the infographic