Ericsson in partnership with Aga Khan Agency for Habitat (AKAH) India is launching a project in Gujarat to combat climate change. The ‘Biodiversity and Ecosystem-Based Climate Change Adaptation’ project, as it is called, aims to boost the resilience of coastal communities exposed to climate change and natural calamities by utilising an ecosystem-based, community-driven, and technology-oriented strategy for adaptation. The project will plant about 1,00,000 mangroves and other plant species along select coastal villages around Porbandar and about 20,000 fruit-bearing trees across 10 villages

Ericsson’s technology will enable the use of geo-tagging services with sensors and peripheral devices to monitor the growth conditions for the mangroves and take data-based decisions to optimise that growth.

The project will enable alternate, climate-resilient livelihood opportunities to complement farm and fishing activities that are normally undertaken in this coastal belt. Mangroves help mitigate the effects of climate-related hazards including storm surge, soil erosion and salinity. Mangroves also support climate impact by capturing and safely storing carbon. Meanwhile, the fruiting trees will provide an alternate income to at least 2,000 families.