Why Trees?

In 2006, the Indian government named Khammam as one of the country's 250 most backward districts, despite being rich in natural resources. Agriculture is the most predominant sector of the District economy, as 20 percent of the population is engaged in Agriculture and allied activities for their vulnerable livelihood. Lambady is the predominant tribal community found at two of the project villages- Puvvada Udaynagaram & Korlabodu Thanda. According to the Government of Telangana - Tribal Welfare Department, the state has a very high concentration of tribal people like Gonds, Lambadas, Yerukala, Koyas, and Pradans, who are the indigenous communities and are traditionally dependent on forests. The Food and Agricultural Organisation mentions the importance of Non-Timber Forest Produce in alleviating the poverty of the forest-dependent communities. However, recent decades have witnessed considerable depletion and degradation of natural resources due to various natural and human-induced actions, impacting the already vulnerable socio-economic scenario.

According to the United Nations Environment Programme, the forests capture atmospheric carbon dioxide at a rate equivalent to about one-third the amount released annually by burning fossil fuels. Stopping deforestation and regenerating forests, therefore, could provide up to 30 per cent of the climate solution. The state has been experiencing extreme conditions of flood and drought, requiring an immediate yet sustainable solution. Some of the state’s worst cases of drought, water crisis, and crop failures are due to a lack of tree covers mentions the Hindustan Times (Apr 25, 2016) and the Hindu Business Line(April 03, 2017). The plantation project aims to gradually recharge the groundwater, improve soil health and reduce surface run-off of water.

Social Impact

The project intends to provide local employment opportunities to the local tribal population dependent extensively on the forests, especially women. The restoration activities of the plantation area, including plantation, weeding, and hoeing of the saplings will provide an additional source of income to the local people. The trees will help in mitigating the adverse impacts of drought and climate variabilities on local communities and their livestock population. Due to improved vegetation and water levels in the project areas, the agriculture and livestock grazing activities will get additional support.

The project will also improve the access of local communities to the collection of fuelwood, and minor forest produces, thereby, contributing to improving their income.
With improved protection and management of the forest and other common land areas, natural regeneration of local species will get a boost. Increased vegetation in the region will further help in controlling soil erosion, improving moisture conservation, and enhancing the water table in the region, eventually, contributing towards the prevention of severe drought and flood conditions of the state. 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.

Adoption Summary