Great People's Forest initiative to raise $1 bn for reforestation in Eastern Himalayas
The Balipara Foundation, in collaboration with Conservation International, has unveiled a project titled 'The Great People's Forest of the Eastern Himalayas'. This initiative aims to raise $1 billion to plant one billion trees and restore a vast one million hectares of land across the Eastern Himalayas spanning Northeast India, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Nepal.
G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant and environment ministry secretary Leena Nandan were present at the launch which aligns with India’s G20 presidency theme: 'One Earth, One family, One future'. Balipara Foundation's president, Ranjit Barthakur, said, “This historic effort will put the Eastern Himalayas, and the 1 billion people who rely directly on it, on the international conservation agenda.
The Great People’s Forest is our movement to protect the region we call home. India’s G20 Presidency has encouraged us to design this ambitious, creative initiative and we hope to better the lives of the billion people who rely on the land and water of this beautiful region." The Eastern Himalayas is an ecosystem of profound importance, stretching across diverse landscapes.
Encompassing over one-twelfth of the planet's biodiversity, this region hosts two primary rivers, the Ganges and Brahmaputra. Notwithstanding its significance, annually, 100,000 hectares of tree cover disappear, pointing to a need for global awareness and action.
. Read more on livemint.com
