Great Green

Integrating technology with environmental stewardship encouraging biodiversity

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GreatGreen

Great-Green is a pioneering web application designed to address the critical challenges of desertification, particularly in desert belts like the Sahel, through innovative reforestation and sustainable land management efforts. This platform not only focuses on planting trees but also introduces a unique model of engaging users in growing diverse crops, plants, and flowers. By integrating technology with environmental stewardship, Great-Green seeks to empower communities, foster biodiversity, and promote a sustainable model of ecological restoration.

Background

The Sahara, once a more hospitable region, has undergone significant climatic changes over time. Over the past century, the Sahara has been expanding at an alarming rate, with desertification occurring at a pace of approximately 10% per decade. This phenomenon negatively impacts drylands, rendering the soil less productive over time. Along the southern border of the Sahara lies the Sahel region, characterized by semi-arid conditions. The Sahel acts as a transition zone between the Sahara and the southern Sudanian savanna, providing grasslands and savannas vital for local ecosystems.

However, the Sahel has experienced a significant decrease in rainfall compared to the first half of the 20th century. Climate change further compounds this issue, contributing to desertification and escalating conflicts between local communities. This deterioration of environmental conditions necessitates urgent action to prevent further degradation.

In response to these challenges, the Great Green Wall initiative was launched with the ambitious goal of restoring 100 million hectares of land across Africa by 2030. This initiative aims to create a continuous green belt stretching from Senegal in the west to Djibouti in the east, spanning 11 countries. By partnering with a total of 21 countries, the initiative seeks to mobilize collective action to combat desertification and promote sustainable land management practices.

The Great Green Wall initiative focuses on planting the right type of vegetation, including trees, bushes, and grasses, to restore degraded landscapes and improve ecosystem resilience. Importantly, the initiative emphasizes the involvement of local communities, allowing them to benefit from and actively participate in restoration efforts.

However, despite these efforts, only 4% of the target has been completed thus far, highlighting the need for accelerated action. Overcoming obstacles such as funding constraints and promoting diversified farming practices are essential for the success of the Great Green Wall initiative and the long-term sustainability of the Sahara and Sahel regions.

With more initiatives like Green wall of India coming up, there is a need to resolve the issues to combat the changes in environment.

Features

  1. Plant Growth Tracking & Sharing
  2. Grow and Contribute: Users interested in growing plants can select from a variety of seeds based on their difficulty level. They receive detailed instructions for nurturing the plants and are encouraged to share progress through weekly updates.
  3. Sustain and Multiply: Once plants yield crops or seeds, users are encouraged to send back 20% of their yield to Great-Green or designated UN programs. This unique cycle helps sustain the project and expand reforestation efforts.
  4. Interactive Mapping
  5. Visualize and Engage: Users can explore interactive maps to see affected areas, ongoing projects, and identify zones needing attention. They can manage reforestation projects with comprehensive tools, tracking progress and evaluating impact.
  6. Connect and Learn: The platform encourages community interaction for knowledge exchange and collaboration. It offers a rich library of materials to educate on desertification, its effects, and mitigation strategies.
  7. Plant Recovery Support: Community Engagement & Educational Resources are available for providing support to struggling plants with issues or pests. Experts will be consulted when requested on as need basis.

Goals

  • Enhance Ecological Restoration: To increase rehabilitated lands and introduce a sustainable cycle of plant growth and sharing.
  • Empower Communities: Equip local and global users with knowledge and resources to actively participate in combating desertification.
  • Promote Biodiversity: Focus on indigenous and diverse species to enrich local ecosystems.
  • Contribute to Climate Action: Leverage reforestation and sustainable agriculture to sequester carbon and combat climate change.

How It Works

  • Kit Assignment: Users are assigned a kit based on their planting experience and receive detailed cultivation instructions.
  • Progress Sharing: Users upload photos of their plants at weekly intervals, sharing their journey with the community.
  • Yield Sharing: Upon harvest, users contribute 20% of their seeds or crops back to the project or partner organizations, helping to perpetuate the cycle of growth and support further reforestation projects.
  • Affiliation: Register as an affiliation center by preparing new kits and accepting new kit requests to help start other's journey.

Technology Stack

  • Interactive UI: React.js for an engaging frontend.
  • Efficient Backend: Node.js with Express for server-side logic.
  • Scalable Data Storage: MongoDB for data management.
  • Geographic Visualizations: Integration with Leaflet map.

Contributing

Great-Green invites contributions from a diverse range of individuals and organizations. Whether it's through coding, educating, or gardening, your participation can help drive global change. See our contributing guidelines for more details.

License

Great-Green is open-source, available under the MIT License, promoting free and collaborative development and distribution.

Join the Movement

Be a part of Great-Green's mission to transform desertified lands into thriving ecosystems. Your involvement can lead to a greener planet and a more sustainable future.

Team Members

  • Bhargav Chickmagalur Nanjundappa
  • Hitesh Krishnappa

Further Reading

Accomplishments that we're proud of

During the hackathon we were able to accomplish the complete execution of the application. The affiliation flow is still under progress.

What we learned

Integration the 3D models for homepage, using leaflet and implementation of our own algorithm to assign the kit.

What's next for Great Green

  • Partnership with organizations and Governments to establish the logistics
  • Affiliation flow is to be built where the users will be able to create a sapling kit according to the instructions given and they register as a affiliation center to serve the request for kit of other user's journey.
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