The world today is facing the greatest threat to our continuous survival as humanity. Last year was Code Red for Humanity, as the IPCC called it. The UN juxtaposes the three greatest threats facing the Globe and calls them The Triple Planetary Crisis – Climate Change, Pollution and Biodiversity loss. The impacts of these do not only adversely affect humans but the entire Ecosystem as a unit; the animals, trees, water-bodies and the whole environment.
But what If we can address the triple planetary crisis simultaneously using a nature based approach such that the effects of our solution will have no net resultant negative impact? What if we can exploit basic scientific knowledge and community participation to save the planet? Welcome to Climate Smart Tree Planting Project where we leverage basic scientific knowledge and active community participation to concurrently address the three greatest environmental challenges of our generation in a nature friendly manner.
The project uses the science of tree planting to innovatively cleanse ambient air, sequester carbon, create habitat for arboreal organisms and initiate pockets of urban forest around sanitation related areas like refuse damp and public toilets in peri-urban and rural areas in Ghana. Sanitation related areas threaten the health of the people in peri-urban centres by polluting the air with particulate matter and stench. However these areas are fertile and more often abandoned by developers and city authorities; providing a good location for tree planting. We identify these places, plant local indigenous tree species and fruit trees and track the trees using GPS till they mature. The community and students are actively involved in project site preparation and data collection.
Trees are known scientifically to sequester carbon and through the process of photosynthesis release oxygen to refresh ambient air during the day. They also provide habitat for arboreal organisms and the leaves provide surfaces for particulate matter to settle thereby cleanse the air. This project is from People, with People and for People! Join us as we plant trees smartly to save the Planet!