UPSC Prelims 2016 Q13: Environment & Ecology – International Environmental Treaties & Summits
What is/are the importance/importances of the United Nations 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 bottom - up approach, encouraging the participation of local people in
combating the desertification.
Select the correct answer
using the code given below.
- (a) 1 only
- (b) 2 and 3 only
- (c) 1 and 3 only
- (d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (c) 1 and 3 only
Explanation
United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)
Adopted in Paris in 1994; in force from 1996.
It is the only legally binding agreement linking environment and development to land management.
| Statement | Verdict | Fact |
|---|---|---|
| 1. It aims to promote effective action through innovative national programmes and supportive international partnerships | Correct | Countries prepare National Action Programmes |
| 2. It has a special focus on South Asia and North Africa, and its Secretariat allocates a major portion of financial resources to these regions | Incorrect | Its particular focus is Africa; the Secretariat does not allocate funds |
| 3. It is committed to a bottom-up approach, encouraging the participation of local people | Correct | Local communities are central to it |
Key facts:
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Secretariat | Bonn, Germany |
| One of | The three Rio Conventions (with UNFCCC and CBD) |
| India | Hosted COP14 in 2019 |
Answer: (c) 1 and 3 only.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Incorrect. Statement 3 is also true: the Convention follows a bottom-up approach.
- (b) Incorrect. Statement 2 is false; the special focus is Africa, not South Asia.
- (c) CORRECT. It works through national programmes and participation of local people.
- (d) Incorrect. Statement 2 is false; the Secretariat does not allocate financial resources.
Key point
UNCCD (1994): legally binding; National Action Programmes; bottom-up approach; particular focus on Africa; Secretariat in Bonn.
Remember
UNCCD = Africa focus + bottom-up + Bonn.
Common mistakes
- Accepting 'South Asia and North Africa'; the Convention's text names Africa.
- Thinking a Secretariat hands out money; funding comes through other mechanisms.
- Forgetting that UNCCD is one of the three Rio Conventions.
Exam tip
UNCCD's full title ends '...particularly in Africa'. That settles the regional focus.
Sources
- United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification — About the Convention
- Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change — UNCCD COP14, New Delhi Declaration (2019)