Trees for Tribals®

Why trees?
Forests play an important role in the lives of indigenous communities. The population in the area primarily consists of tribals, whose mainstay consists of agriculture and collection of forest products. According to an NGO that works toward improving the livelihood capabilities of rural families in the state, agriculture is a major source of income for the rural households in Chhattisgarh and income from agriculture is supplemented by income from wage labour, forest produce, and livestock. Forests are a source of food, fuelwood, medicine, material for housing implements and construction, and livelihood security through the collection, sale, and use of non-timber forest produce. Widespread poverty and lack of opportunities add to the underdeveloped state of the area as reported by the District Administration of the State. "The situation is worsened by the chronic soil erosion due to heavy rainfall, loss of trees and negligence", mentions a study by Ravinder Singh et al. titled “Soils of Chhattisgarh: Characteristics and Water Management Options”. A study by New Zealand tells us how different types of plantations act as protecting agents against various soil problems. This shows that tree plantation is mandatory in order to bring under control the problems of the area and improve the conditions of the tribal community. 

Tree Species
Arjuna (Terminalia arjuna), Jamun (Syzigium cumini), Kosam (Schleichera oleosa), Mahua (Madhuca indica), Baheda (Terminalia bellerica), Bhelua (Semecarpus anacardium), Koliyari (Bauhinia purpurea), Karra (Cleistanthus collinus), Bamboo (Bambusa vulgaris), Tutlani (Dolichandrone falcata), Kudi (Holarrhena antidysenterica), Kummi (Careya arborea), Pengu (Celastrus paniculatus), Saaj (Terminalia tomentosa), Chironji (Buchanania lanzan), Semal (Bombax ceiba), Siadi (Bauhinia vahlii), Kadasali (Nyctanthes arbor), Dumar (Ficus racemosa), Jam (Psidium spp.), Peepal (Ficus religiosa), and Sevana (Gmelina arborea).

Social Impact
The plantation of valued local trees will aid the forest-dependent communities in the region toward building a sustainable rural economy. The project will generate rural employment, especially for the local women residents of the region. The plantation of trees will also help secure and enhance wildlife habitats by providing additional food within the forests for herbivores/omnivores, limiting their movement within the forest ranges, which will reduce crop degradation and incidents of human-wildlife conflict, strengthening a sensitive agriculture-based local economy.
Trees have carbon sequestration capacity which will aid climate change mitigation in the long term. Upon maturity, each tree can absorb approximately 20kg of CO2 per year which is considered globally as a conservative estimate for sequestration potential of trees. Additionally, the extended afforestation project would complement the National Mission for Green India by enabling local level action which aims at protecting and restoring the degraded forest land and engaging local communities in key roles for planning, decision making, implementation, and monitoring during plantation.

Adoption Summary