In news- Shyam Sundar Jyani, a Rajasthan-based climate activist, has won the prestigious United Nations’ Land for Life Award for his environment conservation concept, Familial Forestry.
Key updates-
- The announcement was made by the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).
- The unique concept of familial forestry relates a tree with a family, making it a green “family member.”
- It involves transferring the care of the tree and environment in the family so that a tree becomes a part of the family’s consciousness.
- More than a million families from more than 15,000 villages of desert-prone northwest Rajasthan in over 2.5 million saplings have been planted in the past 15 years, with active participation of students and desert dwellers.
- Jyani was chosen by the UNCCD among 12 shortlisted candidates across the globe.
- He is an associate professor of Sociology in Rajasthan’s Bikaner, has been campaigning for Familial Forestry for over 15 years.
- Two candidates had been shortlisted from India – the other being Jaggi Vasudev, popularly known as Sadguru, who has been campaigning for environmental causes for several years.
About the Award-
- The award was launched at the UNCCD COP (Conference of Parties) 10 in 2011.
- It is considered as the world’s highest reward regarding land conservation and restoration.
- The Award will recognize innovative and excellent efforts in land restoration and conservation, particularly in regards to the SDG 15 “Life on Land” and the Target 15.3 “Land Degradation Neutrality”.
- The winner will receive an individually tailored UNCCD secretariat support package for the duration of two years.
- This year’s theme for the award was “Healthy Land, Healthy Lives”.
- The Award ceremony will take place in August 2021 at the Eighth Kubuqi International Desert Forum in China.
More information– United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) – JournalsOfIndia
Source: The Hindu
