Raintree Foundation to undertake rejuvenation of Shastri River Basin in Western Ghat

New Delhi: Having met success in the first project, Raintree Foundation is planning to undertake a river rejuvenation project spanning 2,098 sq km in Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra.

The foundation is presently raising awareness and funds for its next project the Shastri River Basin, said Leena Dandekar, co-founder of Raintree Foundation.

Geologically, the region is Deccan basalt with laterite, rising over 1,000 metres near the Western Ghats, she said, adding, rainfall here averages 3,000 mm, sustaining 53 villages which face challenges like limited livelihoods, water scarcity, human-wildlife conflict, and biodiversity loss.

Leena Dandekar is part of the Camlin legacy, the leading Indian manufacturer of stationery, now known as Kokuyo Camlin Ltd. She and her children Abha and Vivek Dandekar set up their own family office in 2017 and are utilising part of the fund for philanthropy through the Raintree Foundation.

The foundation started its work on climate action from Western Ghats in the Pune region, which significantly influences India's weather patterns and monsoon.

This region is crucial for ecosystem services to peninsular India, holding 30 per cent of all plant, fish, bird, and mammal species in India.

"In this fragile natural landscape is where the Raintree Foundation is working to create a generational mindset shift amongst communities, using a landscape approach to climate action that prioritizes dignity and wellbeing for planet and people," she said.

Raintree Foundation's pilot project in Velhe, which began half a decade ago, covers 2,100 hectares, encompassing 9 villages, 4,131 people, and 654 households in the Northern Western Ghats.

"Here we have met with some success through interventions that tackle regional challenges such as clean energy, climate and agriculture, sustainable livelihoods, water scarcity, landscape degradation, and human-wildlife conflict," she said.

Demarcated by natural boundaries, regions like Velhe are primed for a landscape approach methodology that works on a holistic strategy that can help re-establish the crucial balance between natural ecosystems and communities that live and survive on it, she said.

Besides philanthropy, the Raintree family office invests in ESG conscious alternate assets.

So far, she said, the family office has made 7-8 impact investments providing them growth capital.