Nagpur may get first Natural Asset Map under pilot project

The city is expected to receive its first Natural Asset Map (NAM) with information on individual trees soon. The Smart City Project and the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) have already created NAMs for three gardens, with the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) likely to do the same for the entire city in the future. Buveneswari S, CEO of Nagpur Smart and Sustainable City Development Corporation Limited (NSSCDCL), announced at a press conference on Wednesday that the city's Natural Asset Map will be unveiled on 3rd October 2021 as part of the three days Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. Over the last year, ICLEI has been working with NMC and NSSCDCL to prepare NAMs for three gardens — Maharajbagh Zoo, Dagdi Park, and Lendra Park as part of the Local Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (LBSAP). The initiative has been taken up by ICLEI at no cost. In these three gardens, over 15,000 trees have been covered. On all trees, ICLEI has placed a board with information about the tree's local name, common name, scientific name, and family. In addition, the organisation has completed all tree GIS mapping. ICLEI is also preparing a handbook highlighting the various benefits of some special trees, particularly medicinal species, found in these three gardens. Based on the success of the pilot project, NMC and NSSCDCL will do the same for the entire city. The Tree Census will be less valuable than the NAM. It will aid in the tracking of the number of trees and species found throughout the city. In addition, as part of NAM, an action plan will be developed to improve the city's greenery and preserve existing trees. From 1st to 3rd October, NMC and NSSCDCL, in collaboration with other organisations and NGOs, planned a large number of events to commemorate the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. Image SourceAlso read: Chandigarh Smart City to set up expert cell for infra projects