[🇧🇩] Save the Rivers/Forests/Hills-----Save the Environment

[Saif]

No one has right to grab canals, rivers

Canals and rivers are national assets and no one has the right to grab and pollute those, said Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and Water Resources Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan yesterday.

www.thedailystar.net

No one has right to grab canals, rivers
Says Rizwana; nationwide cleaning drive launched

File photo

Canals and rivers are national assets and no one has the right to grab and pollute those, said Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and Water Resources Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan yesterday.

She said a canal cleaning campaign is being implemented in all 64 districts as part of the ongoing effort to make the country's waterways free from pollution.

"Although the campaign will officially run till November 15, efforts to keep these waterways clean will continue. There will have a local committee for each canal to prevent pollution," she added.

Rizwana was speaking as the chief guest at the national launch of the canal cleaning drive across 64 districts, held at Tri-Mohini Eidgah ground at Rampura, Dhaka.

Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain officially inaugurated the canal cleaning campaign at Rampura-Zirani canal, marking the National Youth Day 2024.

Rizwana urged the volunteers and the youth to take on the national responsibility of keeping the canals free from pollution.

She said presenting the future generations with pollution-free canals and rivers will be one of the major successes of the Youth Day.​

 

[Krishna with Flute]

 

[Saif]

Govt has issues to shore up to offset Rampal’s evil impact

THE detrimental effects that the Centre for Environmental and Geographic Information Services says the coal-based Rampal Power Plant has on the environment of the Sunderbans are...

www.newagebd.net

Govt has issues to shore up to offset Rampal’s evil impact
04 November, 2024, 00:00

THE detrimental effects that the Centre for Environmental and Geographic Information Services says the coal-based Rampal Power Plant has on the environment of the Sunderbans are appalling. The hazard that the Bangladesh-India joint venture plant has forced on the environment is, however, all that experts predicted well before the plant’s installation. The Centre for Environmental and Geographic Information Services, a state-owned entity, in its latest assessment says the 1.23GW plant, commissioned in October 2022, has been running without an effluent treatment, adversely affecting the River Maidara with a direct discharge of wastewater. The handling of coal unloaded from the ship being carried over a distance of 25 metres on a conveyor belt runs uncovered, which releases coal ash into the air and water, the assessment conducted in February–April says. Coal sheds, coal stack yard and ash silos are not yet finished, resulting in the pollution of water with an increased concentration of the total dissolved solids such as mercury, nitrate and phosphate. No bird’s nest was spotted in the project area during the assessment. Construction materials and wastes were still piled up in the area and there is no sewage management system. Waterkeepers Bangladesh, which works to protect water and water bodies, says that all this might be the tip of iceberg.

When green campaigners earlier held brief against the installation of the power plant within 14 kilometres of the Sunderbans, citing its likely adverse impact on the environment, the energy adviser to the now deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina brushed aside the opposition to the plant’s installation saying that the impact that the campaigners were talking about was ‘not based on facts.’ What is disparaging about this is that the Centre for Environmental and Geographic Information Services that time certified the project as ‘not being environmentally harmful’ in its environmental impact assessment. The institution went to great lengths to oppose local and international experts. The institution has always manipulated reports seeking to please successive governments. It was also earlier predicted that the steps promised to keep the power plant as clean as possible could not be achieved as such steps would only add to the production cost. Inhabitants of the area now allege illness such as breathing problems. Although the Bangladesh-India Friendship Power Company Ltd, which owns the power plant, has rejected the assessment, experts believe that the situation on the ground is harsher than what the state entity’s report has come up with, noting that the entity has not pointed out most of the violations in its previous assessment reports. Green campaigners now want a transparent assessment of the plant on the environment.

The power plant is affecting the country economically, ecologically and socially. The country cannot even use a half of the plant’s capacity because of fuel shortage and technical glitches. The government should, therefore, conduct an unbiased assessment, shore up issues that would reduce the detrimental impact of the plant on the environment based on the assessment. It could weigh options to close down the plant in the long run.​

 

[Saif]

Finding balance and peace with nature

Improving our relationship with nature is the best way at the moment to address the consequences of climate change.

www.thedailystar.net

Finding balance and peace with nature
The spirit of local knowledge, open source of information, and universalising access to technologies should be the foundation of the Global Biodiversity Framework.

In a densely populated country like Bangladesh, convincing locals to spare land for biodiversity has been challenging. FILE PHOTO: STAR

The 16th Conference of Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP16) wrapped up on Saturday in Cali, Colombia. This was the first biodiversity COP since the adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) at COP15 held in Montreal, Canada in December 2022. The parties (governments) and other stakeholders will review the state of implementation of the GBF and show the alignment of the respective National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) with the framework. A major focus of COP16 was on capacity-building, monitoring, and advanced resource mobilisation for the GBF. The event also saw the adoption of a multilateral mechanism on the fair and equitable sharing of benefits from the use of digital sequence information on genetic resources. In addition, the parties provided updates on the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety and the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-Sharing.

Improving our relationship with nature is the best way at the moment to address the consequences of climate change. The ecosystems around us, such as forests, wetlands, and mangroves, are natural machines for mitigating climate change. Forests alone absorb about 2.6 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) annually, which is one-third of the CO2 released by burning fossil fuels. Besides, mangroves and seagrass meadows can store five to ten times more CO2 per hectare than terrestrial forests. Forest restoration and wetland conservation could reduce up to 37 percent of the emissions to meet the Paris Agreement targets by 2030. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) highlighted the importance of the protection and restoration of natural ecosystems to remove an additional one billion tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere by 2050.

However, we are aware that deforestation across the world due to agriculture has caused about 12-15 percent of global CO2 emissions, which is equivalent to the emission of the entire transportation sector. Around 10 million hectares of forest were lost during the period of 2015-2020. The global reforestation effort could sequester around 205 gigatonnes of carbon. Over $44 trillion of global GDP (approximately half of the world's economic output) is mostly dependent on ecosystem services, i.e. water filtration, climate regulation, and pollination, according to the World Economic Forum (WEF). However, biodiversity loss could reduce global GDP by $2.7 trillion annually by 2030. According to the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), investment in biodiversity and ecosystem restoration could yield up to $9 for every $1. Sustainable practices like renewable energy, smart agriculture, and conservation could create 395 million jobs across the world by 2030.

The 15th Amendment to the Constitution of Bangladesh (2011) affirmed the state's responsibility for biodiversity preservation. We then went on to enact several legal instruments, such as the Ecologically Critical Areas Management Rules, 2016, Protected Area Management Rules, 2017, and the Bangladesh Biodiversity Act, 2017. As a result, the country now has 13 ecological hotspots and 22 protected areas to conserve biodiversity. We also have a National Conservation Policy (2016-2031) in place to ensure the sustainable use of natural resources, including biodiversity. The government's eighth Five-Year Plan (2020-2025) and the long-term Delta Plan 2100 integrate water, land, environment, and biodiversity to mitigate climate change risks and reduce biodiversity loss.

The National Adaptation Plan (2023-2050) prioritises biodiversity conservation and climate action, nature-based solutions, and the establishment of forest and coastal zone policies. These reflect the country's long-term commitment to preserving biodiversity. Bangladesh established its National Biosafety Framework in 2006 to regulate biotechnology and manage risks associated with genetically modified organisms (GMOs), in line with the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. The policy interpretation and implementation acceleration remain a challenge. The biodiversity fiscal and biodiversity literacy along with common understanding across all ministries and stakeholders are the major turning points. The government may consider implementing tax exemptions on investments in biodiversity and ecosystem conservation activities and subsequent income to accelerate the momentum.

Bangladesh, like all other countries in the multi-stakeholder review process, has updated the National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plan (NBSAP) for 2021-2030 based on the Global Biodiversity Framework. The updated NBSAP will include a multilateral mechanism for equitable resource-sharing, documentation of local knowledge, community and civil society engagement, a data repository blueprint, and guidelines for digital sequence information (DSI). However, it should simplify reporting mechanisms to avoid overburdening resource-limited sectors and be integrated into the National Development Planning (NDP). The alignment of the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and relevant reporting related to other frameworks and conventions may enable efficient reporting.

The spirit of local knowledge, open source of information, and universalising access to technologies should be the foundation of the Global Biodiversity Framework. Global action through the exchange of understanding with local communities is needed to understand the short- and long-term benefits of their involvement in biodiversity conservation. In a densely populated country like Bangladesh, convincing locals to spare land for biodiversity has been challenging, as they prioritise living, farming, and grazing more. However, mobilising communities, local government, academia, and the Forest Department in restoration has brought in significant outcomes, bringing a win-win balance between nature and community in protection, livelihood, and ecosystem.

Kazi Amdadul Hoque is a climate, development, and humanitarian activist.​

 

[Saif]

Environmental violation rampant at Rampal

The government’s latest assessment of environmental and other compliances of the Rampal power plant has revealed rampant violations, exposing lives and nature to the hazards predicted by...

www.newagebd.net

Environmental violation rampant at Rampal
Emran Hossain 02 November, 2024, 23:59

The government’s latest assessment of environmental and other compliances of the Rampal power plant has revealed rampant violations, exposing lives and nature to the hazards predicted by experts well before the plant’s installment, to which the Sheikh Hasina regime refused to pay heed.

The assessment conducted by the state-owned institution, the Center for Environmental and Geographic Information Services, also revealed that the 1,234MW coal-based power plant had been running without an effluent treatment plant in operation since October 2022, releasing wastewater directly into the Maidara River.

Handling of coal from unloading the fuel from the ship to carrying it along the 25 meter conveyer belt involves no covering at all, releasing coal ash into the air and river, endangering bio-diversity and ecology, the report of the assessment conducted between February and April said.

Facilities such as coal-shed, coal stack yard and ash silo are not yet finished as per the plan. As a result, the environment is being polluted and evidence found during the assessment indicates increases in the concentration of total dissolved solids in water and pollutants such as mercury, nitrate and phosphate levels in some of the study areas.

No bird nest was spotted during the assessment conducted in the project area, including Karamjal, Harbaria, Akram Point, Hiron Point, and Sutarkhali Forest, while vanishing grazing grounds resulted in a drop in the population of domesticated animals, the report said.

The plant’s workers live in horrible conditions with construction materials and waste piled up in the area where they live without any sewerage management system in place, exposed to constant air pollution from the open coal handling.

‘What the CEGIS is saying must be the tip of the iceberg,’ Waterkeepers Bangladesh coordinator Sharif Jamil said.

Experts were surprised by the CEGIS report being so revealing about a project that the institute certified as ‘not environmentally harmful’ in its environmental impact assessment.

The CEGIS went to a great extent to oppose local and global experts to support the Rampal project, a joint venture of Bangladesh and Indian governments, located 14 kilometres north of the world’s largest mangrove forest, the Sunderbans, also a UNESCO world heritage site, the experts reminded.

The CEGIS always manipulated reports seeking to please successive governments, including the Sheikh Hasina regime that was overthrown by a student-led uprising on August 5.

‘We want a transparent assessment of the impacts of the controversial Rampal power project,’ said Hasan Mehedi, member secretary of the Bangladesh Working Group on Ecology and Development, a platform of green activists.

The lack of integrated dust control system and the absence of covering over the coal conveyor belt from the jetty area to the first transportation point allowed the coal ash to be dispersed in the air and nearby water bodies, the report said.

There is no enclosure over the grabber of the excavator as well as it unloaded coal from lighterage, causing air and river water pollution, the report said.

Sand and construction materials were found heaped inside the plant premises and at the labour shed with the roads and lanes around it littered with organic and inorganic waste, the report said.

The concentration of particulate matter, especially PM2.5 and PM10, was found to be higher in the project’s adjacent area than in the other areas, the report said, attributing the existence of the concentration to increased emissions from Power plant activities, and combustion of gasoline, oil, diesel fuel.

Where the mother vessels importing coal anchor and lighterages receive the delivery to take it to the shore, the CEGIS found the concentration of total dissolved solids higher than in other sites.

The levels of nitrate and phosphate, on the other hand, were found to exceed at most of the sites than the standard, the report said, blaming upstream anthropogenic activities.

Similarly, the sulphate concentrations were found relatively higher in the post-monsoon and winter periods than in the monsoon seasons, the report said.

The maximum concentration for arsenic and lead was found in Akram point whereas mercury maximized at Harbaria. The points are the places where mother vessels and lighterage gather.

‘Ships carrying coal produce black water containing solid waste. Ships tend to dump the waste directly into the water without proper monitoring,’ said Abdullah Harun Chowdhury, who teaches environmental science at Khulna University.

Harun, who became the subject of a government witch hunt back in 2012 for publishing a scientific article predicting the potential impacts of the Rampal power plant, was not surprised by the absence of ETP or wastewater being discharged into the Maidara River without treatment.

‘It was well in the prediction that steps promised to keep the power plant as clean as possible are not attainable because they will increase production cost,’ he said.

The report said that the flue gas desulfurization for unit-1 of the power plant is ready for operation, implying that it was not used so far. Also known as FGD, the device is used to free coal from sulphur before using it as fuel.

Locals have long alleged that the power plant releases massive black smoke when coal is burned. Locals also alleged developing sicknesses such as problems with their breathing.

Anwarul Azim, deputy general manager of Bangladesh-India Friendship Power Company Limited, the mother company of the Rampal power plant, rejected the finding of the report.

‘ETP was fully operational even before commissioning of Unit-I,’ he said in a written message, adding, ‘The maximum possible length of jetty conveyor is covered.’

He said that both the ETP and sewerage treatment plant are operational.

‘As far as mercury is concerned, we have no source of the pollutant to be discharged to water bodies,’ he wrote.

CEGIS deputy executive director Mostafa Ali, however, said that the ETP became operational after the second last quarter while the STP was yet to be operational.

‘There might be some mistakes in the report,’ he said.

Experts believe the truth is uglier than the picture painted by the CEGIS report. They said that the CEGIS did not point out most of the violations in its previous assessments.

‘The power plant is affecting us economically, ecologically and socially. The loss is far greater than the benefit from generating power in the plant,’ said Harun.

Ever since its construction, Bangladesh could not use even half of the plant’s capacity because of fuel crisis and technical glitches. The power plant gets over Tk 2,000 crore as capacity charge.

‘The power plant should immediately be closed down,’ said Harun.​

 

[Saif]

Overcoming most damaging impacts of climate

The projection is one of the direst, if not the direst. Bangladesh is set to lose, warns the Asian Development Bank, 16.2 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2070. By 2050, the country's population is projected to reach 202 million although it is likely to drop to 170 million in another 50

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Overcoming most damaging impacts of climate
Editorial
Published :
Nov 06, 2024 23:44
Updated :
Nov 06, 2024 23:44

The projection is one of the direst, if not the direst. Bangladesh is set to lose, warns the Asian Development Bank, 16.2 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2070. By 2050, the country's population is projected to reach 202 million although it is likely to drop to 170 million in another 50 years. By that time, as another UN agency the International Labour Organisation (ILO) has also hoisted the danger signal recently, 17 per cent of the country's territory will get submerged due to sea-level rise, leading to 30 per cent loss of its agricultural land. The country can count it lucky that the GDP loss will not be even more. In between now and 2070, there are only 45 years, considered the most productive period for a whole generation. During the time, even if the population size declines from its peak 202 million to 180-190 million and the projected territory loss takes hold and the consequent exodus of coastal people towards urban centres happens, how disastrous will be the climatic convulsion for this small country?

What percentage of GDP loss will be due to sea-level rise or flooding or other climatic adversities is immaterial to people who have to abandon their home and hearth and become climate refugees. A land-scarce country, Bangladesh is not economically strong enough to mitigate the sufferings of the victims of the river erosions. When inhabitants of the 17 per cent of territory lost to sea-level rise will look for shelter elsewhere, the country has no excess land to distribute among them for housing. It is a stark reality staring in the face of the country. Ranked 9th in the Global Climate Risk Index, 2023, Bangladesh is likely to plunge into an unmitigated crisis it has never faced before. Its food security will be seriously compromised with the loss of 30 per cent of its agricultural land.

The country has recorded population growth of 1.03 and 1.23 per cents in 2022, 2023 respectively and it is projected to be 1.22 per cent in 2024. If nothing happens unexpectedly to reduce the population size, the country will have to feed the greatest number of mouths around the time climate takes its greatest toll. Sure enough, the growth rate of population is reasonable and it will continue to decline like advanced industrial countries after that point of time. But unlike those advanced countries, Bangladesh with a smaller territory already boasts a burgeoning population. More importantly, the majority of the population have not received quality education and skills enjoying high demands abroad for migration.

Clearly, demographic planning is crucially important with a greater focus on developing the competence of the underprivileged. This is highly compatible with the inherent theme of establishing a discrimination-free society---a rallying cry of the anti-discrimination movement. Redistribution of national wealth alone can and should be the preserve of and priority before the governments assuming power henceforth. Time is short and the interim government has even a shorter time to shape a roadmap for gradually reducing inequality in society by the governments to follow. Obviously, the initiative has to be made by the country itself and the partners in progress may be requested to join the move in order to develop resilience against adverse climatic impacts.​

 

[Saif]

Now is the time to act against river, canal encroachers, says Rizwana

Now is the right time to take exemplary action against encroachers of rivers and canals, says Environment Adviser Rizwana Hasan. Speaking to journalists during a visit to the Sirajganj Town Protection Embankment at Hard Point and the Crossbar-3 area on Wednesday afternoon, Rizwana stressed the imp

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Now is the time to act against river, canal encroachers, says Rizwana
bdnews24.com
Published :
Nov 07, 2024 19:52
Updated :
Nov 07, 2024 19:52

Now is the right time to take exemplary action against encroachers of rivers and canals, says Environment Adviser Rizwana Hasan.

Speaking to journalists during a visit to the Sirajganj Town Protection Embankment at Hard Point and the Crossbar-3 area on Wednesday afternoon, Rizwana stressed the importance of immediate action, warning that delays could make future efforts slower and less effective.

The adviser explained that the Jamuna River, with its constant cycle of erosion and rebuilding, presents unique challenges.

"We must act swiftly now, as any delay could hinder progress," she said.

Rizwana said the Water Development Board (WDB) has been instructed to conduct public hearings by January to identify priority projects, according to a press release issued by the environment ministry.

These projects will be listed and submitted to the ministry as directed.

The adviser said that since there is no political government in power at the moment, WDB offices have been instructed to compile project lists through public consultations, in which she herself intends to participate.

“Our budget is limited compared to the extent and severity of river erosion. Therefore, resources allocated to this ministry will be equitably distributed across prioritised districts to ensure no area feels neglected,” she said.

Rizwana highlighted the need for sustainable solutions, including resettling landless people in newly emerged river areas and promoting afforestation projects.

She said allowing industrial development in these newly formed river areas could lead to increased pollution in the river.

In response to a question, the advisor said that she had given instructions to the ministry the previous day to ensure proper oversight of all plans and projects.

She emphasised that, from planning to implementation, it must be verified whether contractors are purchasing the correct materials, whether the allocated budget matches the actual project costs, and whether the quality of materials meets the required standards.

To ensure this, a committee has been formed, with the directive that a local representative or a student be included in the committee.

The head of the committee will be an external expert, not affiliated with the government.​

 

[Krishna with Flute]

A mammoth Mission by Sadguru NGO to Named kaveri Calling to revive River Kaveri to restore the water flow which it had 3 decades back. Total 2420 million trees are planned to be planted in Kaveri Basin.

Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD),​

Cauvery Calling​

Revitalizing the Land, the Water and the Lives of 84 million people in India


1.0 The Problem: Soil, Water and Livelihood challenge facing 4.7 billion people

Our collective mismanagement of Earth has manifested itself in myriad symptoms – climate change, loss of topsoil and fertility, dwindling water resources, and related farmer distress around the world. At risk is the world’s food and water security, as well as the livelihoods of billions of people linked to the agrarian economy – especially in the tropical world that is home to 4.7 billion people. India is one of the worst affected regions – with a 40% or more decline in its rivers in just two generations due to more than 70% loss in green cover in the river basin areas. As a result, soil fertility is declining, there are more droughts and floods, and there is acute agrarian distress with a rising tide of farmer suicides. Lack of organic matter is turning soil into sand. Not surprisingly, 24% of the world, and 32% of India, is turning into a desert.

Given this backdrop, Cauvery River, which has been a lifeline for southern India for many millennia, is now dying. At stake is 83,000 square kilometers of the river’s basin, which until recent years had been one of the most fertile lands in India, and is today home to 84 million people.


2.0 The Solution: Creating the world’s largest farmer-driven ecological movement

At its heart, the core idea underpinning Cauvery Calling is breathtakingly simple and scalable. In heavily populated tropical countries like India, large tracts of additional land to put under more forest cover simply don’t exist. Therefore the solution is to bring tree cover onto the vast tracts of private farmland - via the adoption of tree-based agriculture by farmers.

Importantly, the entire approach is based on the insight that impoverished rural farmers will adopt tree-based agriculture only if there is a strong market-driven financial incentive to dramatically improve their livelihoods. Consequently, this entirely voluntary adoption of tree-based agriculture by farmers is underpinned by an underlying economic model where by farmer incomes are going up between 300-800%. It is, therefore, evident that in a country where 690 million people live in relative poverty, Cauvery Calling is a ground-breaking eco-restoration movement that marries ecology with economy.

Given the movement, at its heart, is voluntarily propelled by farmers for an underlying economic rationale, large-scale change becomes possible. This movement, therefore, is addressing the ecological and economic concerns of the entire Cauvery River basin area,propelled by 5.2 million farmers in the states of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka in southern India. The target is to help these farmers bring their land under green cover by planting 2.42 billion trees.

Watch Cauvery Calling: A Race To Save a River, a documentary film by Discovery Channel

3.0 Laying the Foundation

The Cauvery Calling approach has been painstakingly developed and refined on the ground for more than two decades, starting from 1998. The initial decades were spent developing the model, building capabilities, creating people linkages and generating favorable word of mouth through widespread on-ground farmer success stories across Tamil Nadu.

In 2017, the scale-up of the tree-based agriculture model received a dramatic impetus when Sadhguru, the Founder of Isha Outreach, created a nationwide peoples’ movement, Rally for Rivers, to ensure the long-term sustainability of this holistic way of addressing our soil, water, and livelihood challenges. An unprecedented 162 million people in India actively expressed their support during this month-long on-ground rally.

In 2018, a comprehensive set of technical recommendations were submitted to the Government of India, which formed the cornerstone of the Government River Revitalization Advisory sent to all Indian states and Union Territories in June 2018.


4.0 Unprecedented Scale-up in Recent Years:

In 2019, with various building blocks in place, the geographic scope and scale of the initiative expanded to include the Cauvery River basin in Karnataka. In September 2019, Sadhguru undertook a massive on-ground mobilization, riding over 3,080 km across the Cauvery basin. This effort shaped a people's movement across the length and breadth of the river basin.

Prior to 2020, over two decades of on-ground work, the project enabled the planting of 42 million trees and transitioned 77,000 farmers to tree-based agriculture. Since 2020, in just four years of the Cauvery Calling project scale-up, it enabled the plantation of an additional 74 million trees and 152,000 farmers have transitioned to tree-based agriculture.

In 2022, two more initiatives for farmer involvement were introduced: farmer-driven sapling production and farmer-driven sapling distribution. This step in farmer empowerment ensures that farmers will own both the sapling supply and demand in the coming times.

Recent Highlights/Milestones

1. In 2022, The Govt. of India allocated INR 19,000 crore ($ 2.4 billion) to rejuvenate 13 major Indian rivers in alignment with the Rally for Rivers draft policy recommendations.
2. Further, in 2022, Conscious Planet - Save Soil, the largest ecological movement on the planet with a reach of over 4 billion people, has brought the world's attention to the soil crisis.
   1. Sadhguru undertook an arduous 100-day, 30,000-km lone motorcycle journey across 27 countries to raise awareness making it the world’s largest movement
   2. Sadhguru addressed 193 nations at UNCCD COP15. Presented policy recommendations mapped to 12 agroclimatic zones, 25 soil types and 3 land use types
3. In 2023, Conscious Planet was part of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) COP28
   1. Save Soil Pavillion hosted 12 panel discussions with 50 experts.
   2. For the first time, soil and agriculture's role in climate mitigation was acknowledged.
   3. Almost 500 media reports were published across 33 countries covering Save Soil and Sadhguru's efforts at COP28 to highlight the pivotal role of soil in combating climate change.

5.0 Why This is a Game Changer: Scalable and self-sustainable solution for land restoration and river revitalization

Cauvery Calling is a game-changer for the following key reasons:

1. Scale:The immense scale of this on-ground effort which involves helping 5.2 million farmers to bring their land under green cover by planting 2.42 billion trees across the Cauvery basin.
2. Unique building blocks:The movement’s ability to achieve its ambitious long-term goals is underpinned by two game-changing building blocks:
   1. The required scale-up of vegetative green cover is not constrained by the limited availability of forest land as the movement targets the vast tracts of privately-owned agricultural lands.
   2. The long-term sustainability of the initiative will be market-driven because it is propelled by significant increases in the incomes of impoverished farmers. Therefore, this movement will not be constrained by the availability of charitable contributions.
3. Popular support:A broad-based and all-inclusive people’s movement has been shaped on the back of a national-level 2017 public campaign that elicited the support of an unprecedented 162 million people, followed by another campaign in 2019 to mobilize farmers and urban support. This movement encompasses farmers, civil society, the Union and relevant State Governments, and NGOs. And all of this is underpinned by 26 years of concerted on-ground work.

6.0 Impact on Humans and the Natural World:

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change outlines that land-related restoration initiatives should be evaluated across five key areas - climate change adaptation, climate change mitigation, combating desertification and land degradation, food security, and sustainable development. Cauvery Calling is one of the few projects that addresses all five areas. It is harnessing a powerful nature-based solution – tree-based agriculture - to address ecosystem restoration (both soil and water), reversal of biodiversity loss, climate change mitigation, improved food security and nutritional value, crop diversification, and risk reduction, climate change adaptation, and better livelihoods for millions of small-hold farmers.

As of October 2024, the project has enabled the planting of 116 million living trees. Further, 229,000 farmers have transitioned to tree-based agriculture. The project impact is summarized below:

1. Climate change adaptation:​

   1. Farms have become more resilient to floods and droughts, as evidenced by low water stagnation during excessive rains and reduced loss of yields during droughts.
   2. Livelihoods of impoverished farmers have been de-risked due to:
      
      1. a 300-800% increase in their incomes.
      2. Having the safety net of possessing marketable trees.
      3. Needing less time for cultivation allows farmers to develop alternative skill sets and related earning opportunities.

2. Climate change mitigation:​

   1. The plan of planting 2.42 billion trees is expected to result in the sequestration of 200-300 million tonnes of CO2, which is equivalent to 8-12% of India’s NDC for 2030.
   2. Reduced pressure on forests for tree produce.

3. Combating desertification and land degradation:​

   1. The goal is to restore organic matter in the soil to at least 3-6%.
   2. Planting 2.42 billion trees is estimated to help sequester 9-12 trillion liters of water - revitalizing the soil, groundwater, and Cauvery River.
   3. Many farmers have reclaimed their fallow lands.

4. Food security:​

   1. Increased soil fertility due to tree-based agriculture has significantly improved the yields and the quality of various intercrops.
   2. Enhanced availability of fruits and improved soil quality result in an increased nutritional content for impoverished families.

5. Sustainable development:​

   1. The initiative addresses no fewer than nine sustainable development goals of the United Nations - i.e. goals number 1,2,6,8,10,12,13,15,17, as described in the graphic below.
   2. The required intensity of irrigation has significantly reduced due to enhanced moisture retention in soil.
   3. Biodiversity is rising, as evidenced by increased populations of beneficial insects and earthworms and the return of birds and small mammals.
   4. The initiative could slow down the adverse trend of rural-to-urban migration in the future.