Platform – Virtual (ZOOM)

Webinar ID: 851 1984 1894 
Passcode: 968527

To join the webinar: CLICK HERE

Introduction

The future of our land is at stake. Desertification and drought are among the most pressing environmental challenges of our time; with up to 40% of all land area worldwide already considered degraded. Healthy land not only provides us with almost 95% of our food but so much more: it clothes and shelters us, provides jobs and livelihoods, and protects us from the worsening droughts, floods and wildfires. In fact, forecasts estimate that by 2050 droughts may affect over three-quarters of the world’s population. The number and duration of droughts has increased by 29 percent since 2000, as compared to the two previous decades (WMO 2021). When more than 2.3 billion people already face water stress, this is a huge problem. At the same time, growing populations coupled with unsustainable production and consumption patterns fuel demand for natural resources. The water cycle and land management are inextricably linked: that every land use decision is a water use decision. By 2050, 10 billion people will share our one planet – depending on healthy land for their livelihoods. Yet, every second, an equivalent of four football fields of healthy land becomes degraded, adding up to a total of 100 million hectares each year. Beyond that, desertification and drought are drivers of forced migration. Each year, tens of millions of people are at risk of displacement due to these environmental challenges. We need to avert land degradation as a root cause of conflict and instability. As the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste impact the health of land it is essential to halt human activities that lead to land degradation and work towards restoring land to protect livelihoods, climate, and biodiversity. Soil erosion, nutrient depletion and other forms of land degradation reduce water productivity and affect water availability, quality, and storage. Reversing these trends entails tackling the underlying social, economic, political and institutional drivers of unsustainable land use. According to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), restoring degraded land globally could lock away three billion tonnes of atmospheric carbon into the soil every year, supporting the achievement of the 1.5° target. Land restoration is also essential to ensure human rights, sustainable development, food security, employment, disaster risk reduction, ecological benefits, and improved public health.

Objective

The Webinar will present an overarching understanding of these linkages through insights from experts on the conceptual framework, research and insights from policies by bringing together stakeholders from international and multilateral organizations, research institutions, and policy-think tanks, with the common agenda to enhance the multi-risk approaches including drought. The Webinar shall provide ways forward for the multi-risk assessment framework, and especially to the endeavours of development cooperation to reduce and manage risks in developing countries. The scope for future cooperation and collaboration will be explored.

High Level Policy Dialogue On Multi-Stakeholder Actions For Combating Desertification And Droughts Through Water Transversality: VIDEO LINK CLICK HERE 

 

High Level Panel of Speakers

 

Dr. Arvind Kumar
 H.E. Dr. David Cooper
Dr. Arvind Kumar is a strategist and key-influencer in development sector with more than 29 plus years of experience as an author, columnist, Water and Human Rights Pro-activist, and specializes in concepts like ecosystem-based adaptation, water-energy-food nexus, with specific emphasis on Transversal approach of inter-linkages between water, environment and SDGs. He has published over 500 plus research articles and several books. He is a proud recipient of Achievers Award for his contribution to the Environment from International Human Rights Organization in collaboration with United Nations Information Centre, India. Dr. David Cooper is Acting Executive Secretary of the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity. David has more than 30 years of experience in environmental and agricultural science and policy, and international negotiations, including more than 20 years with the CBD. He has built strong and productive working relationships with Parties in all regions and with partners in civil society, international organisations, and the scientific community.
 Padma Shri Dr. Shailesh Nayak H.E. Eddy Moors
Dr. Shailesh Nayak is currently the Director of the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru, Chancellor of the TERI School of Advanced Studies, Delhi, Editor-in Chief, Journal of the Indian Society of Remote Sensing and Life Trustee, India International Centre, New Delhi. Dr. Nayak obtained Ph. D. degree in Geology from the M.S University of Baroda in 1980. He was the Secretary to the Government of India, for the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), between August 2008-2015.  He provided leadership for the programs related to earth system science. At Earth System Science Organisation (ESSO)-Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Service (INCOIS), he set up a state-of-the-art Early Warning System for Tsunami and Storm Surges in the Indian Ocean and developed a Marine GIS for improving advisory services related to potential fishing zones, ocean state forecast, and Indian Argo project during 2006-08. He had joined the Space Applications Centre, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in 1978 as a scientist, led coastal and ocean colour research. He has published about 200 papers in SCI journals. Considering the impact of his research on the society, the Govt. of India has conferred him the civilian honour ‘Padma Shri’ in the field of science and engineering in 2024.
 Dr. Eddy Moors is Rector of IHE Delft Institute of Water Education. Professor Moors was head of the research team ‘Climate change and adaptive land & water management’ at Wageningen Environmental Research (Alterra). He is also Professor of Water and Climate at he VU University Amsterdam. Eddy Moors specialized in the research of climate change mitigation and adaptation. Earlier in his career he worked for the World Meteorological Organization in Africa and in the Caribbean.

 
 H.E. Dr. Satya Tripathi  H.E. Mr. Rabi Mohtar
Dr. Satya S. Tripathi is Secretary-General of the Global Alliance for a Sustainable Planet. A development economist, lawyer and changemaker with over 40 years of varied experience, Mr. Tripathi is also the Chancellor of Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences – and Senior Distinguished Fellow on Innovative Finance at the World Agroforestry Centre. He has served with the UN for more than two decades in key positions and was most recently the UN Assistant Secretary-General, Head of New York Office at UN Environment and Secretary of the UN Environment Management Group. Dr. Rabi Mohtar is the TEES Endowed Professor at Texas AM University, College Station, USA. He is the Founding Director of Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute (QEERI) a member of Qatar Foundation, Research and Development and the Founding Director Strategic Projects at Qatar Foundation Research and Development. He was also the inaugural Director of the Global Engineering Programs at Purdue University, Indiana USA.

Professor Mohtar focused on conserving natural resources (including land, water, air, and biological resources) that face global challenges such as increasing food and water supplies for a growing population. He also designed and evaluated international sustainable water management programs that deal with population growth and water shortage conditions in arid climates. His research has resulted in improved methods for environmental and natural resources engineering, many of which have been adopted by other professionals and agencies internationally.
Mr. Yugal Joshi Ms. Shweta Tyagi 
Yugal Joshi has many passions. Water, History, Mythology and Yoga. Prior to his current job, he was Director, Jal Jeevan Mission and Director Swachh Bharat Mission in the Jal Shakti Ministry from July 2016 to February 2022. He is the recipient of the Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration for his work in Swachh Bharat Mission and also of the Indian Police Medal for Meritorious Service as Director Jal Jeevan Mission. He has authored Boons and Curses: Legends of the Mythological Mother, Women Warriors in Indian History, The Singapore Water Story (co-authored), Creating Shared Values ( co-authored) and Ram: The Soul of Times. He has also translated Phnom Penh Water Story from English to Hindi. He has also published various papers in international journals on water and related areas. An alumnus of Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, NUS, Singapore; IIT Delhi, Delhi University, HBTU Kanpur and Kumaon University, he is deeply interested in history, mythology and yoga. His new book, a historical fiction is soon to be published by Penguin India.

 

 Ms. Shweta Tyagi is Chief Functionary, India Water Foundation. She is results-focused development sector professional with a 23 plus years of demonstrated history and a proven ability to manage project teams to deliver multiple projects and programmes across diverse sectors of sustainable Development, Water and Sanitation, Social Development, Livelihood Generation, climate change etc.  Excellent knowledge of project management and strategic planning of partnership creation and coordination, as well as advising decision-makers and strengthening capacities. Experience of Natural Resource management among rural communities for implementing
 

 

For more information please contact-

Ms. Shweta Tyagi

Chief Functionary

India Water Foundation

Email:  [email protected]

Mobile:  +91 9899819074