page_title: BAPS Charities
section_title: Environment
hierarchical_section_title: BAPS Charities / Activities / Environment
caption_attribution_description: English: BAPS Charities WalkGreen
context_page_description: BAPS Charities is an international, non-religious, charitable organization that originated from the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha with a focus on serving society. Their history of service activities can be traced back to Swaminarayan, who opened alms houses, built shelters, worked against addiction, and abolished the practice of sati and female infanticide with the goals of removing suffering and effecting positive social change. This focus on service to society is stated in the organization's vision, that "every individual deserves the right to a peaceful, dignified, and healthy way of life. And by improving the quality of life of the individual, we are bettering families, communities, our world, and our future." BAPS Charities carries out this vision through a range of programs addressing health, education, the environment, and natural disaster recovery. The organization's worldwide activities are funded through donations and are led by a community of over 55,000 volunteers who are mostly members of BAPS. The volunteers work with local communities and other charities and the organization's activities are mainly based out of their mandirs.
context_section_description: The charity manages several programs designed to protect and improve the environment. Volunteers across the world have raised ecological awareness and promoted conservation by employing energy-efficient technologies, such as solar power and biogas and organizing large-scale tree planting campaigns and recycling programs. The charity has planted 1.5 million trees in 2,170 villages. In India, it supports organizations that lead campaigns to improve water supply and conservation and helped secure safe water consumption for communities. These organizations have also conducted almost 500 rainwater-harvesting projects globally. The organization has also recharged 5,475 wells in 338 villages. It supports organizations that arrange 'cattle care' centers to research and improve cattle in India and to support areas experiencing drought or other emergencies; they also provide free veterinary services and help provide food and water for cows, buffaloes, and bulls owned by area farmers. 
  The organization has undertaken tree planting programs in over 2,000 villages, with over 1.5 million trees planted. The organization has established paper and aluminum recycling programs in the UK, USA, and India and used funds generated from this to support other charitable activities. Globally, it has recycled over 10,000 tons of paper and 7 million aluminum cans.
  The UK chapter has teamed up with Thames21, a leading waterway charity, to clean up Brent Feeder Canal of litter. In observance of Climate Week, it organized a clothes recycling drive.
caption: Planting trees during annual walkathon
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