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.
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.
Note: Skip to user flow diagrams shown below for visual description of the functionality
- Plant Growth Tracking & Sharing
- 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.
- 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.
- Interactive Mapping
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Kit Assignment: Users are assigned a kit based on their planting experience and receive detailed cultivation instructions.
- Progress Tracking: Users upload photos of their plants at weekly intervals, tracking their journey.
- 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.
- 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.
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.
Great-Green is open-source, available under the MIT License, promoting free and collaborative development and distribution.
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.
- Bhargav Chickmagalur Nanjundappa
- Hitesh Krishnappa
- Node v21.7.3
- npm 10.5.0
- Mongo DB