Editorial

Abstract

 We have been witnessing the degradation of natural ecosystems including  wetlands, rivers, cultivable lands, forests, etc. in our surroundings which have become substantially visible during our life time. The rivers are drying up, the peripheries of the wetlands are being encroached, the construction of roads and urbanization have been making permanent detrimental effects to the natural ecosystems, indiscriminate dumping of pollutants into the water bodies has become rampant and so on. A classic example is the Pulicat lake in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. This lake was cut across in the middle by the Sriharikota Link Road, which divided the water body into lagoon and marshy land. Such degradations of natural ecosystem are serious issues not only for India but also for the whole world. Usually, we barely see the policy makers taking bold steps to address these issues. Nevertheless, the European Union  (EU), in this context, came forward and showed the path to the whole world by taking the long-awaited bold step. The Nature Restoration Law (NRL) has been adopted by the EU's Environmental Council on June 17, 2024. This is the law that aims to restore the health of Europe's natural ecosystems, mandating that at least 20% of the EU's land, sea, wetlands, rivers, forests areas must be restored by 2030 with a goal that all the ecosystems (in need of restoration) will be fully restored by 2050. Being a part of the EU's Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 and the European Green Deal, NRL focuses on the ecosystems including forests, agricultural lands, rivers, urban spaces, lakes etc. with specific measures such as the restoration of 25,000 km of rivers into free-flowing rivers and planting 3 billion additional trees by 2030. Undoubtedly, this is an inspiring and landmark law which must be imitated by not only India
 but also by rest of the world.