India 2018

218 India 2018
Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer in 1987. The mandate of
the Montreal Protocol is to phase out the production and consumption of the
Ozone Depleting Substances (ODSs). India is a party to the Vienna Convention
for the Protection of the Ozone Layer and the Montreal Protocol on Substances
that Deplete the Ozone Layer and its all amendments/adjustments. The
MoEF&CC has set up the Ozone Cell as a National Ozone Unit (NOU) to render
necessary services for effective and timely implementation of the protocol and
its ODs phase-out programme in India.
Vienna Convention
The Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer and its Montreal
Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer are the international treaties
specific for the protection of the Stratospheric Ozone (Ozone layer). The Montreal
Protocol has been recognized as the most successful international environmental
treaty in history. It has been universally ratified and all the 197 UN member
countries of the world are the parties to the Vienna Convention and its Montreal
Protocol. In the 29 years of operation of the Montreal Protocol, extraordinary
international cooperation under this agreement has led to phase-out of
production and consumption of several major ODSs such as CFCs, CTC and
halons globally from 2010.
United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification
The concern for arresting and reversing land degradation and desertification
gets reflected in many of the national policies (for e.g., National Water Policy
2012; National Forest Policy 1988; National Agricultural Policy 2000; Forest
(Conservation) Act, 1980; Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, National
Environmental Policy, 2006; National Policy for Farmers, 2007; National Rainfed
Area Authority (NRAA)-2007 which have enabling provisions for addressing
these problems. It is also implicit in the coals of Sustainable Forest Management
(SFM), Sustainable Agriculture, Sustainable Land Management (SLM) and the
overarching goal of Sustainable development which the country has been
pursuing. India became a signatory to the United Nations Convention to Combat
Desertification (UNCCD) in 1994. MoEF&CC is the nodal Ministry in the
government of India for the UNCCD, and Desertification cell is the nodal point
within MoEF&CC to co-ordinate all issues pertaining to the convention.
International Cooperation and Sustainable Development
International Cooperation and Sustainable Development (IC&SD) Division of
the Ministry coordinates matters related to international environmental
cooperation and sustainable development including Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs).
United Nations Environment Programme
India is a member of UNEP and provides annual financial contribution of USD
100,000 to UNEP Environment Fund. Three of the thirty three members on