Green Globe

1.The global problems are many as the environment is concerned. The main issues are listed below as per world-o-meter( dated 13.06.2021). Few examples of problems are deforestation, soil erosion, loss of natural energy sources, and under/malnutrition.

2. National Ecosystem Restoration Policy(details provided below descriptions) will promote a self-motivated group of people and they will plant more than 1.5 lac trees per day. 

 3. It will be a Global Policy to be adopted by each country to protect the Earths' ecosystem.

The global problem is huge as listed below as per world-o-meter( dated 13.06.2021)

a.ENVIRONMENT

2,330,671-Forest loss this year (hectares)

3,137,713-Land lost to soil erosion this year (ha)

16,259,362,224-CO2 emissions this year (tons)

5,377,927-Desertification this year (hectares)

B.ENERGY

56,295,206-Oil pumped today (barrels)

1,471,020,817,135-Oil left (barrels)

15,341-Days to the end of oil (~42 years)

1,088,439,662,063-Natural Gas left (boe)

57,286-Days to the end of natural gas

4,305,180,574,787-Coal left (boe)

148,455-Days to the end of coal

C.FOOD

852,512,950-Undernourished people in the world

D. Rapid loss of aquatic ecosystem

The solution to the above-mentioned issues is the restoration of the terrestrial and aquatic ecosystem. It will happen by a conscious effort of human beings to restore it. My concept is to plant more than 1.5 million trees per day. Yes, it's possible. 

Let's understand the process -The global birth rate is 3.5 lac/ day. Being obstetrics and gynecologist, I have seen the role of male attendant after delivery of a baby is minimal. They come to the hospital to accompany the vaginal birth process (in some countries they are not allowed to be in the whole delivery event or even maternity wings). Once the delivery is over the parturient is under medical observation for 24-72 hrs for low-risk deliveries. During this period all male partners/attendants are free and most of them just stay inside the hospital premises. This free time of a male attendant accompanying a low-risk delivery in a hospital can be used for plantation/ecosystem restoration. If half of this motivated group of people, supported by the National Ecosystem Restoration Policy will plant one tree each it will be 1.5 lac trees per day. If they plant 10 trees each then 1.5 million trees per day.

The mass movement of plantation  impacts all of us, but it directly impacts the person who is doing plantation and newborn baby. The source of motivations is an emotional attachment that he is trying to save nature for his child, contributing something in his entire life for nature (as most of them might be doing the plantation for the first time in their life ) and lastly, some financial benefit to the couple ( Indian National policy for institutional delivery each couple gets 5000 INR) if they plant more they will get more incentives depending upon performance.

This is possible by integrating four systems health care system, public administration, horticulture, and digital monitoring of the process by global green app/website.

1.Health care system- As we know, the process of vaginal delivery is a physiological process. For mothers and newborn safety, we promote institutional delivery, and after delivery, we observe the mother for 24 to 72 hours. The woman coming to the hospital for delivery is in a predefined area where the movement of outsiders is restricted. During this period though male partners are there in the hospital, they don't do anything actively as mother care, and nursing care is done by hospital staff.

When to start the motivation-To educate the public, the health care workers will educate and motivate them during antenatal visits. Once the delivery is over in the hospital, the treating doctor will give permission/certify that the mother is safe and delivery is uneventful, and her male partner/ any apparently free attendant can be moved for the plantation process. After getting a doctor's permission, a small group of male attendants of low-risk pregnant women delivered on a particular day will be mobilized to the prespecified area of the plantation by an official vehicle. There will be aboard with a stand where all men will sign and put the date as a symbol of memory. Similarly next day, the different teams will come and do the work of gardening, planting, watering, harvesting, etc, and the cycle will go on.

2. Role of public administration and horticulture department- Two things they will do. First, to identify the unused or unproductive land by Planning Commission close to the hospital where there is a facility for institutional delivery available. Secondly, the horticulture department will access the productive capacity of land and supply plants on a large scale to be planted there. (few examples like an urban botanical garden for amusements, large scale sugarcane plantation for the production of ethanol-blended petrol (biofuel), large scale jungle creation, fruit and flower garden, bamboo forest, coastal area plantation to protect from natural calamity etc. )

3.Global green app/website - Its difficult to achieve the goal without monitoring and feed back. So this app will update the participants of plantation process weekly basis by sending them photos of work done by them or directly they can zoom to the land location by the tracker attached to the board near plantation area. If they feel that all plants need extra care they can contribute directly or inform the local authority to revive the plants those are in the process of dying. This will susten the project and over all reduction of the problems arising out of deforestaion.

Natural calamities like cyclones or pandemics, carbon dioxide production, and depletion of natural resources for energy production are global problems. To sustain a balanced ecosystem, each individual must contribute at least once in his lifetime. The concept of utilizing the highly motivated euphoric time of becoming a father and backed with National policy will break the barrier and move the mass to do something to protect his newborn infant's future. However, this will happen only if the existing system will provide them the platform to work and digital support to monitor their work and contribute to restoring the ecosystem.

The way we decorate our own home to make it more lively, similarly, its time to decorate whole earth. Many people must be panic about the current situation of global crisis, but they don't get the opportunity to do something to save the earth. Here the National Policy as described above will provide a platform for highly motivated individuals to work to restore the ecosystem. I have put this idea here to get some support from SOLVE CHALLENGES to implement this in a selected states/ districts for few months. After successfully implementing this idea for a small area, it can be used as a model for the other states of different counties. 

This is an innovative approach to mobilize and utilize the highly motivated period of each individual's life to restore the ecosystem by providing them the platform to work and digitally monitor their work by themselves and putting their conscience efforts to protect the globe.

It's a matter of approval of the concept and area of pilot projects.

The digital monitoring (by global green app/website) of the prespecified area by satellite picture or direct photography of that area uploaded by the local authority. Each individual can trace their plantation area by a tracker-based board which will be there for demarcation as described before. Both input from authority and people will improve the successful plantation movement. Using this digital platform, volunteers can donate money for the up-gradation of that predefined area of reformation.

The concept was developed by two of us.

1. Dr Girija Shankar Mohanty, MBBS, MS (OBG)

 Designation-Adjunct Prof Public Health, Chitkara University, India.

  Role - Conceptualized the whole process of mass movement of the plantation.

2.Name -Mr. Sanjay Kumar Jena

 Designation- Process Automation Engineer

 Role - Being an automation engineer, my prime responsibility is to reduce energy consumption by following Lean Six Sigma methodologies. In addition,  creating awareness on energy savings, afforestation, and carbon neutrality are special areas of focus.

We believe Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam means " the world is one family." This concept will safeguard the current and future generations.

This concept will protect our earth from deforestation and its side effects.

It will reduce the consumption/ utilization of natural sources of petrol.

It will help for the development of botanical gardens, bamboo forests, etc.

We need MIT Solve to assist us in the implementation of this strategy as a  pilot project.

We need the grants to start the pilot project. The funds will be utilized for the production of the nursery, transportation of plants and individuals from the hospital to the prespecified unused land for the plantation, irrigation system implementation, and digital monitoring system (global green app/software)development.

We need to work with the public health authority who will specify the unused area near a hospital of his district. Then we need the help of the horticulture department who will access the productivity of that land and suggest the development of a particular group of plants suitable for development in that area. Then the forest department who will give clearance for part of the forest to be used for plantation. Then we need a health department who will certify that the mother is healthy and the attendant is free to go for the plantation work. Finally, the digital developer who will give an update about the post plantation follow up .

This concept will protect our earth from deforestation and its side effects.

It will reduce the consumption/ utilization of natural sources for petrol production.

It will help for the development of botanical gardens, bamboo forests(alternate source of fuel), etc.

The fund will be used for a pilot study on the above concept of sustainable plantation movement globally.