Khejri Tree

The Khejri tree, native to desert environments, flourishes across Asia from the UAE to India. Despite extreme heat and minimal rainfall, this tree thrives, displaying vibrant greenery in arid regions. Its small green leaves, yellow flowers, and fruits add to its unique attributes. With a modest height of around 5 meters and a compact canopy, it resembles a green mushroom from afar. Goats, sheep, and camels consume its leaves. This hardy tree, surviving in desert conditions, will be extensively planted to benefit both the environment and the local wildlife.

Impact in Numbers 

Carbon Fixed  450 Kgs.

CO2 reduction from the atmosphere by 1650 Kgs.

Increase in farmer income/savings on fodder/food by 2000 INR per year after maturity.

Tree Dimensions on Maturity.

Maximum height of the tree (m)	5
Tree canopy spread (m)	5
Tree trunk diameter (inches)	6

 

Value to the farmer

Among the desert’s most valuable trees, the Khejri serves diverse purposes. Its wood finds utility in constructing houses and agricultural tools, as well as fuel. Often grown as a hedge plant, it provides fodder for camels and goats through its leaves and pods. The young fruits are consumed as vegetables, while the ripe pods offer sweet pulp. For farmers, these trees offer respite in the desert, typically planted in courtyards for shade and cooling. Furthermore, abundant planting aids farmers in minimizing fodder costs.

About the Project – Plant a Khejri Tree

Upon receiving the saplings, farmers will also receive comprehensive technical knowledge of their cultivation. This long-term project aims to provide continuous support to farmers for a duration of 3 years. Additionally, farmers will have the opportunity to be part of a group. They will be encouraged and educated about the benefits they can expect from growing these trees. Furthermore, these trees will be an integral component of a larger set distributed to farmers, contributing significantly to the improvement of their economic status.

Technology

The project utilizes geotagging to track the location of the trees. GPS technology is employed to mark the area boundaries accurately. Furthermore, farmer details, along with corresponding images, are recorded and documented. All the relevant data is efficiently captured and directly stored through mobile apps, facilitating real-time field data collection. Moreover, the process includes calculating the yearly carbon fixation, using expert-developed equations for various tree species in dedicated applications and reports. The project ensures total transparency throughout the data acquisition, storage, and analysis processes.

Impact assessment

The team actively measures the impact project generates on wildlife and farmers. Regular intervals are set for capturing all the relevant data, which is then analyzed by comparing it with the previous data collected on the same parameters, calculated a few months ago. Moreover, the observed changes are carefully measured against the planned results, enabling a comprehensive assessment of progress and effectiveness. Additionally, this data-driven approach ensures that the project’s impact can be accurately evaluated and necessary adjustments can be made to achieve the desired outcomes.

Reports

The project reports are prepared and sent to the contributors. The report covers the following

1) Trees status as on the last visit made

2) Any mortality in the trees planted

3) Carbon fixed in MT from the start of the project

4) Economic impact on the farmers.

5) Ecological impact created.