Amazon To Invest $3 Mn In India For Nature-based Projects
Amazon on Monday said it would initially invest USD 3 million for nature-based projects in India. The investment is part of the company’s USD 15 million allocation for nature-based solutions in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region.
This allocation will draw from Amazon’s USD 100 million Right Now Climate Fund, which was created in 2019 to support nature conservation and restoration projects that enhance climate resilience and biodiversity, while driving social and environmental benefits in communities where they operate.
The primary focus of this initial investment in India is a groundbreaking initiative in the Western Ghats, where Amazon will collaborate with the Centre for Wildlife Studies (CWS) to plant 3,00,000 trees. Amazon’s funding of USD1 million will help CWS establish the “Wild Carbon” program, which will support 10,000 farmers in planting and maintaining one million fruit-bearing, timber and medicinal trees.
This contribution from the conglomerate will help CWS partner with 2,000 family farms and plant 300,000 trees over three years. The trees will help to expand land area for animals and reduce human-wildlife conflict through the creation of natural buffer zones, while also bringing in higher-value trees for the farmers compared to other subsistence crops.
CWS will also use project funds to develop state-of-the-art monitoring systems using drone and remote sensing technology and on-the-ground surveys to verify program outcomes, advancing research on the potential positive impact of farmers on reforestation opportunities.
In a statement, CWS Executive Director Dr Krithi Karanth said, “Amazon’s support enables us to plan and build a program that is self-sustaining in the long-term. The farmers will receive upfront support to select tree types that serve both their livelihoods and the wildlife, whilst also receiving technical assistance, agroforestry training, and support for replanting failed saplings.”
