According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), approximately 420 million hectares of forest were lost between 1990 and 2020. The global tree cover has diminished at a rate of 10 million hectares between 2015 and 2020, contributing to an estimated 4.1 gigatons of annual carbon emissions through land-use changes. Such an alarming rate of deforestation has severe climate change implications and has resulted in a significant loss of ecological biodiversity. Trees act as both a carbon sink and a protective guard during a climate disaster. The loss of trees will have a significant impact on the local weather and population. With both the demand for more agriculture and the push of infrastructure as driving forces, it seems that this trend of deforestation will not be slowing down anytime soon.

Researchers will work with the Dharma Life, Accenture, Siriti teams, and with support from the Sui Foundation, to develop an architecture that collects and stores data by deploying machine learning algorithms and technologies. This includes the use of AI to create communication campaigns, machine learning to automate the process of validating the program outcomes (number of trees planted), and publishing the results on the blockchain. This technology-led approach enables the researchers to track participant behaviour and monitor development outcomes. This would be one of the first studies to systematically field test the impact of AI-generated marketing content on influencing positive behaviour change.

Motivated by the need for change, this research project aims to inspire a significant section of the population to actively engage in tree planting to ensure the survival of trees for a greener future. Uttarakhand is in the foothills of the Himalayas, an area which is experiencing major deforestation, and so the practical implications of this project are significant. The results will provide evidence on the most effective interventions to enhance tree planting efforts, potentially influencing the implementation of a comprehensive tree planting program for the state of Uttarakhand.