Aravalli Green Wall Project: Restoration, Updates & Ecological Impact

The Aravalli Green Wall Project is one of India’s most ambitious landscape restoration initiatives, designed to rejuvenate the Aravalli Range—one of the oldest mountain systems in the world. Launched officially on World Environment Day 2025, the project aims to combat ecological degradation, enhance biodiversity, improve water availability, and mitigate desertification, while supporting climate goals and sustainable livelihoods.

 

What Is the Aravalli Green Wall Project?

The Aravalli Green Wall Project is a large-scale ecological restoration programme focusing on the reforestation, regeneration, and protection of the Aravalli hills landscape. Inspired loosely by the Great Green Wall initiatives in Africa, the project targets the creation of a continuous green buffer zone along the 800+ km mountain range, spanning parts of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi, and beyond.

Rather than a physical “wall,” the initiative is a living ecological corridor intended to:

• Increase tree cover with native species

• Rehabilitate degraded lands, scrublands, and wastelands

• Restore water bodies and improve soil health

• Enhance biodiversity and wildlife habitat connectivity

• Provide climate resilience and carbon sequestration

• Support local employment and green income streams

Why the Aravalli Matters

The Aravalli Range is far more than a scenic backdrop. It functions as a natural shield that:

• Slows desertification from the Thar Desert

• Regulates microclimate and rainfall patterns

• Recharges groundwater aquifers

• Supports wildlife corridors and diverse ecosystems

• Buffers urban centres like Delhi and Jaipur against dust storms

• Supplies water to rivers such as the Chambal and Sabarmati

Over decades, mining, deforestation, and land degradation have weakened this ecological barrier. Restoring the Aravallis is now recognised as a key environmental priority for northern, western, and central India.

Major Objectives of the Green Wall

The project’s goals align with both national environmental priorities and international climate commitments:

1. Afforestation & Native Woodland Restoration

Planting trees and shrubs native to the Aravalli ecosystem across degraded terrain and buffer lands to build long-term vegetative cover.

2. Carbon Sink Expansion

India aims to create an additional 2.5–3 billion tonnes of carbon sink by 2030, a commitment under its Paris Agreement Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

3. Water Conservation & Soil Health

Enhancing groundwater recharge, revitalising ponds and streams, and improving soil fertility to support both nature and agriculture.

4. Biodiversity & Habitat Protection

Restoring habitat for forest flora and fauna, including threatened species dependent on connected landscapes.

5. Community Livelihoods

Generating sustainable jobs through nursery development, plantation activities, local stewardship (e.g., Van Mitras), and nature-linked enterprises.

6. Climate Resilience & Heat Mitigation

In addition to sequestering carbon, green buffers help reduce heat islands, dust storms, and pollution levels in nearby urban clusters.

Recent Implementation Updates (2025–26)

Official Launch & Institutional Support

• The project was symbolically launched by the Prime Minister on World Environment Day (June 5, 2025) with tree plantation drives and broader public participation appeals.

Nurseries & Buffer Zones

• Approximately 1,000 nurseries are planned across the Aravalli landscape to supply native plant stock.

State-Level Action

• Gujarat has planted nearly 86.84 lakh saplings across 4,426 hectares and is set to expand efforts in 2026–27.

• Haryana is preparing to restore about 25,000+ hectares using GIS-guided ecological interventions and tailored native planting plans.

Soil & Water Restoration

• Rajasthan has begun soil development and rehabilitation work across multiple districts to combat degradation and desertification under Aravalli landscape restoration programmes.

Policy & Legal Context

The project has unfolded alongside important legal developments:

• The Supreme Court of India recently stayed certain aspects of a controversial “new definition” of the Aravalli hills, a move welcomed by policymakers as aligning with environmental priorities.

• Government authorities have reaffirmed that no new mining leases will be permitted in protected or ecologically sensitive parts of the range, bolstering the project’s protection goals.

These developments demonstrate the complex interface of policy, law, and ecological stewardship that is central to the success of the Green Wall initiative.

Challenges & Considerations

Despite broad support, the project faces real challenges:

• Fragmented land ownership and unclear titles in some regions can slow implementation.

• The survival rate of planted trees historically has varied, raising questions about long-term maintenance.

• Environmental groups have urged deeper consideration of ecological risks and implementation frameworks to ensure restoration is scientifically sound.

Balancing development, local economic needs, and ecological integrity will remain an ongoing task.

🌳 Why the Aravalli Green Wall Project Matters

Beyond its environmental impact, the Aravalli Green Wall Project:

• Reinforces India’s global climate leadership

• Creates nature-based solutions to land degradation

• Connects heritage landscapes with future generations

• Promotes ecosystem services that support air quality, water security, and rural livelihoods

Restoring the Aravalli range is not merely a tree-planting exercise—it is a strategic ecological restoration effort aimed at reversing decades of degradation and ensuring resilient landscapes for people and species alike.

FAQ – Aravalli Green Wall Project

1. What is the Aravalli Green Wall Project?
It is an ecological restoration initiative focused on reforesting and rehabilitating the Aravalli mountain range to improve biodiversity, water security, carbon sequestration, and community resilience.

2. Which states are involved?
The project spans Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi, and nearby Aravalli regions across multiple districts.

3. What are the main goals of the project?
Goals include combating desertification, restoring degraded land, enhancing green cover, improving water systems, supporting local livelihoods, and contributing to climate goals.

4. How does it support climate action?
It aims to build an additional carbon sink of 2.5–3 billion tonnes by 2030, supporting India’s climate commitments under the Paris Agreement.

5. What are some challenges facing implementation?
Challenges include land and legal complexities, variable sapling survival rates, and ensuring ecological appropriateness of plantations.

Conclusion

The Aravalli Green Wall Project is emblematic of India’s evolving approach to environmental restoration—holistic, community-engaged, and climate-aligned. From planting native trees and restoring water bodies to bolstering rural employment and sequestering carbon, this initiative seeks to transform one of India’s most ancient landscapes into a vibrant ecological corridor once again.

As implementation progresses across states and legal safeguards strengthen, the Aravalli Green Wall Project stands as a blueprint for landscape-scale ecological resilience in the 21st century.