Question 43 from UPSC CSE 2016 - Environment

Question

What is/are the importance/importances of the 'United Convention to Combat Desertification'? 
1. It aims to promote effective action through innovative national programmes and supportive international partnerships.
2. It has a special/particular focus on South Asia and North Africa regions, and its Secretariat facilitates the allocation of major portion of financial resources to these regions.
3. It is committed to a bottom-up approach, encouraging the participation of local people in combating desertification.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.

IASCODEX · Accepted Answer

Correct Option: C. 1 and 3 only

Strategy: Analyze each statement for its plausibility in the context of a global environmental convention. Statement 1 describes a general and widely accepted approach for international agreements, emphasizing national programs and international partnerships, which is highly probable. Statement 3 highlights a bottom-up approach and participation of local people, a common and effective strategy in sustainable development and environmental management, making it highly probable. Statement 2, however, claims a special focus on South Asia and North Africa regions and the allocation of a major portion of financial resources to these specific regions. Such highly restrictive and geographically specific financial allocation for a global convention that addresses drylands worldwide is often an overstatement or incorrect detail. This eliminate false data approach suggests statement 2 is incorrect, leaving statements 1 and 3 as the correct ones.

Key Info: ## United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)

**Establishment**: Established in 1994, it is the sole legally binding international agreement linking environment and development to sustainable land management.

**Origin**: Desertification, climate change, and biodiversity loss were identified as the greatest challenges to sustainable development during the 1992 Rio Earth Summit.

**Mandate**: The Convention specifically addresses arid, semi-arid, and dry sub-humid areas, known as drylands, where some of the most vulnerable ecosystems and peoples are found.

**Objectives**: Its 197 Parties work to improve living conditions for people in drylands, maintain and restore land and soil productivity, and mitigate the effects of drought. It promotes effective action through innovative national programs and supportive international partnerships.

**Approach**: The UNCCD is particularly committed to a bottom-up approach, encouraging the participation of local people in combating desertification and land degradation.

**Secretariat Role**: The UNCCD secretariat facilitates cooperation between developed and developing countries, particularly around knowledge and technology transfer for sustainable land management. It does not specifically allocate a major portion of financial resources only to South Asia and North Africa; its focus is global across all dryland regions.

**Financial Mechanism**: The Global Environment Facility (GEF) serves as the financial mechanism for the UNCCD, providing funding for activities that address land degradation and desertification globally.

IASCODEX · Answer

Option A: 1 only

IASCODEX · Answer

Option B: 2 and 3 only

IASCODEX · Answer

Option D: 1, 2, and 3