In Brief:
- Himachal Pradesh launches AI platforms 'WhereToPlant' and 'WhatToPlant' to boost forest restoration.
- Solves bad site selection, which previously wasted ~50% of plantation funds.
- Analyzes 3,050+ variables across 795,000 tiles via Telegram, testing 98 native tree species.
- Pilots across 250 sites boosted plant survival rates to 82–85%.
Himachal Pradesh has launched two AI-powered digital platforms, 'WhereToPlant' and 'WhatToPlant', to optimize forest recovery, improve seedling survival, and enhance disaster resilience against landslides and flash floods.
Developed after research showed nearly 50% of historical plantation budgets were wasted on unsuitable sites, the tools leverage machine learning, geospatial data, and over 3,050 environmental variables to evaluate site suitability across 795,000 landscape tiles via Telegram.
'WhatToPlant' further recommends optimal native tree species from 98 candidates based on 226,000 field observations. Pilot testing across 250 locations yielded an impressive 82% to 85% success rate, marking a transition toward evidence-based environmental management that blends physical infrastructure with ecosystem resilience.
Source: ANI
