Trees for Water

Water scarcity is destabilizing the world’s second-largest country.

A lack of potable water poses a threat to the Katkaris, a Tribe of Maharashtra state, designated as a ‘Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs)’ within the Scheduled Tribes. Access to quality water is fundamental to better living conditions, especially in rural marginalized communities. Limited access to potable water leads to drought, water-borne diseases and hunger, with crop growth and farming directly impacted.

Maharashatra frequently suffers from severe droughts. According to a report by the Ministry of Water Resources and the Central Ground Water Board, there is a rapid decline in water level during the post-monsoon period, whereas the area goes practically dry during peak summers. The overuse of groundwater to tackle water scarcity only worsens the problem.

Vegetation helps rainwater from the monsoons to be retained by the soil - without tree roots and canopy water from rainfall can’t infiltrate, leading to floods and soil surface erosion during monsoons and water scarcity during the dry season.

Trees improve groundwater resources, turning the soil more permeable, permitting the storage of rainwater, and maintain groundwater availability during dry periods.