Leh: The PwC India Foundation, in partnership with the Students’ Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL) has planted over 14,000 saplings of indigenous herbs, bushes and shrubs to boost restoration and reforestation, the foundation said.
Ladakh is a high-altitude desert where ecosystems and communities rely on glaciers releasing ‘fossil’ water from thousands of years ago. Climate change has caused the size of glacial streams to shrink in the upper valleys of Ladakh.
To help solve the problem of water shortages in spring for the agriculture-dependent communities in the valleys of Ladakh, PwC India Foundation partnered with SECMOL in 2019 and started the ice stupa project, and has undertaken several other concerted efforts to restore the valley’s fragile ecosystem by improving its green cover and empowering communities by helping them generate livelihood opportunities.
The collaboration has also worked towards enhancing the water retention capacity of soil in the region. First, trenches were dug and filled with clay. As a result of this, the land became more permeable and less prone to soil erosion. Then, continuous plantation drives were planned to support afforestation efforts that will, in turn, reduce the frequency of flash floods and aid groundwater recharge in the area.
During the course of this partnership, annual training sessions and awareness workshops have also been organised to educate local community members about the importance of water conservation and train them in building ice stupas. These workshops were also planned to enhance their drought preparedness.
(India CSR)
