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Digital MRV for Trees Outside Forests:

Introduction

Carbon finance can transform rural India- but only if verification is swift and affordable. Traditional field audits cost $4–$7/ha/year and take months. For scattered TOF plantations, that’s a deal‑breaker. Enter Digital MRV (Monitoring, Reporting, Verification)—a blend of satellite analytics, drone LiDAR, and smartphone data capture.

This blog unpacks a pragmatic MRV stack tailored for India’s TOF landscape, based on methodologies described in FSI’s Technical Information Series (2020) and Anaxee’s field pilots.

1. Why Conventional MRV Fails for TOF

• Fragmentation: 80 % of TOF volume sits in scattered trees across > 50 million farmers.
• Access: Linear plantations hug canals, railways, remote village tracks.
• Cost vs Credit Value: A 1‑ha bund plantation may yield 3 tCO₂e/year (~$30). Spending $10 on audits kills the profit.

2. The Digital MRV Stack

This hybrid cuts cost from $4/ha to <$1/ha.

3. Satellite Models in Practice

• Crown Width → Biomass: FSI uses regression to link crown diameter (from 30 cm pixels) to biomass per species category.
• Change Detection: NDVI + Canopy Height Model (CHM) track gains/losses; < 10 % error achieved in pilot across 500 ha in Karnataka.

4. Field Data with Smartphones

Field network uses:

• Offline‑first Android app capturing geo‑tag, DBH, and photo.
• QR/NFC tags preventing double counting.

5. Automating Reporting

• API‑ready Dashboards: Summary tables auto‑populate Verra/Gold Standard templates.
• Blockchain Hashing: Immutable timestamp for every data packet.
• Edge‑ML: On‑device diameter estimation from images—no calipers needed.

6. Case Study – Bund Carbon Project, Uttar Pradesh

• Area: 12,000 ha, 45 villages
• Trees: 2.8 million (Mango, Neem, Shisham)
• Digital MRV Result: Verification cost ₹52/ha/year vs ₹380 in manual model.
• Outcome: First 50,000 credits issued in 11 months—70 % faster cycle.

7. What’s Next?

• AI Species ID: Differentiating Neem vs Shisham via multispectral signatures.
• Automated LiDAR Swarms: Mini‑UAV fleets for large canal corridors.
• Tokenized Credits: Instant farmer payouts via UPI once credits sell.

Conclusion

Digital MRV turns India’s dispersed TOF into a bankable carbon asset. By slashing verification costs and timelines, we unlock climate finance for the smallest farmer. Anaxee’s integrated stack proves it’s not just possible- it’s profitable.

Ready to pilot? Contact us at sales@anaxee.com and let’s put every farm tree on the carbon ledger.

With rising focus on climate action, carbon credits, and net-zero goals, tree plantation has become one of the key activities in carbon offset projects. But planting trees is just the beginning. To claim carbon credits, especially under international standards like VERRA or Gold Standard, you need to show proper proof of plantation- that trees are actually planted, thriving, and mapped properly.

So how do you prove a tree plantation project is real and meets validation standards in India?
Let’s break it down in a simple and practical way.

1. Geo-tagging and Satellite Mapping

The first step is to capture the location of plantation sites with proper GPS coordinates. This can be done using mobile apps with geo-tagging features. Tools like Anaxee’s Tech for Climate are very useful here- the system and app is easy to use, even for field staff with basic smartphones.

Each plantation site should be geo-tagged during the actual activity- like pit digging, sapling planting and follow-ups. Once uploaded, these locations can also be verified with satellite imagery, which helps confirm the scale and authenticity of the plantation project- especially helpful in large-scale Agroforestry projects in India.

2. Time-stamped Photos + Mobile Survey Data

Just GPS is not enough. You need visual and digital evidence of the tree plantation work.

Ask your on-ground team to take clear, time-stamped photographs showing: Before and after plantation work, Pit digging, sapling plantation, Regular growth updates (every 3-6 months) etc.

Also, use mobile survey forms to digitally capture:

1.Number of trees planted

2.Tree species

3.Land size and plantation area

4.Name and mobile number of land-owner/farmer

This kind of real-time digital data adds strong credibility to your plantation claim. 

3. Tamper-Proof Data Storage (Blockchain or Central Database)

Once your geo-tags, photos and survey data are collected, all of it should be uploaded to a secure and tamper-proof database. You can use a centralized cloud dashboard or go one step ahead and use blockchain-based systems.
Such digital records make carbon credit verification by external agencies much smoother. It also shows that your project is serious about transparency and traceability.

4. Third-party Verification

For any carbon credit project to be trusted, independent verification is important. Third-party validation agencies help audit your plantation data and cross-check what is submitted.
Anaxee works with such agencies to offer complete support – from plantation to proof to verification. This adds more value when you are selling credits to buyers or submitting to international standards.

5. Long-Term Monitoring is a Must

Planting trees is one part. But to claim carbon credits, you must prove that trees are alive and growing over time. So regular monitoring becomes part of your MRV (Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification) process.
Typically, you need to monitor plantations every 6 or 12 months. Anaxee’s tech and field network helps with consistent field checks, photo updates, and health assessments of planted trees. This ensures your agroforestry project in India stays compliant for long-term carbon validation.

A well-documented tree plantation with geo-tagging, digital proof, third-party validation, and regular monitoring is the backbone of any successful carbon credit project in India.

With the right tools and partners like Anaxee, even rural or community-driven plantations can be scaled and verified confidently. So if you’re planning an agroforestry or tree plantation project for carbon credits Connect with Anaxee today at sales@anaxee.com

Improved Cookstoves (ICS) have been introduced in many parts of India to reduce indoor pollution, save fuel, and improve lives- especially in rural households where traditional three stone chulhas are still common. But even after years of efforts and multiple carbon projects, the real on-ground impact of these cookstove projects remains limited.

At Anaxee, we believe it’s not because people don’t need ICS, but because the way these projects are being implemented needs to improve. And we are fixing that with the help of 100% baseline surveys and technology-driven distribution.

What’s Going Wrong in Many ICS Projects?
Most Improved Cookstove projects in India follow the same old method. A sample survey is done in the beginning to prepare a baseline, and then the stoves are distributed during the project rollout. But by the time the actual users are identified, it’s often too late.

Here’s what usually happens:

✅ The cookstoves are given to people who don’t need it, or worse, don’t use it properly.

✅ The ICS ends up sitting unused in a corner.

✅ As a result, fuel savings are low, and carbon credits are weak.

✅ The community doesn’t really benefit, and the project fails to create real, measurable impact.

What Makes Anaxee’s Model Different?
We do things the opposite way. Before distribution, we do a 100% baseline survey– not just a sample. That means every single beneficiary is verified, profiled and mapped.

Why is this better?

✅ Real data in your hands before starting the distribution

✅ Only the right families are selected- those who cook regularly on traditional stoves

✅ Better adoption rate, because the stove actually solves a problem

✅ Improved monitoring, since data is already organized

✅ Stronger carbon outcomes, which means better return for project developers

But How Do We Do 100% Baseline?
Doing surveys at such a large scale across rural areas sounds impossible. And yes- it would be, if you try to do it manually.
But at Anaxee, we use tech and mobile-based apps to collect structured data from remote locations across India. Our Digital Runners, a trained network of field agents, help us reach last-mile villages quickly and cost-effectively.

This means:

✅ Surveys happen fast

✅ Data is collected digitally (no paper work)

✅ Reports can be viewed in real-time

✅ Distribution is tracked and managed through our system

Why This Matters for Carbon Projects
Carbon credit calculations depend heavily on actual usage and impact. If stoves are not used correctly or regularly, your entire carbon revenue is at risk. By choosing the right households upfront and tracking usage over time, your carbon project becomes stronger, cleaner and more reliable.
Also, when you include technology from the start, your project can scale to 100,000+ households without losing quality or accuracy.

If you’re planning or running an Improved Cookstove project in India, and want to improve your baseline, adoption and monitoring process, talk to us.
At Anaxee, we’re already helping carbon project developers improve their project design and implementation across India.

Anaxee recently conducted a comprehensive survey on electric vehicles (EVs) in Rajasthan and Delhi. This survey focused on understanding the usage patterns and electricity consumption of EV owners who received their vehicles in subsidies. The primary aim was to gather data to help claim carbon credits, promoting eco-friendly transportation solutions.

Anaxee received a list of EV owners from the client, focusing on those who had received/purchased EVs with a subsidy. Anaxee’s backend team contacted these EV owners to know their interest and availability for the survey.

Digital Runners, local to the EV owners’ areas, were assigned the task of visiting their homes. During the visit, Digital Runners explained the survey process to them and provided an adaptor for EV charging. This adaptor was essential for collecting data on electricity consumption.

Over the next few days, Digital Runners used Anaxee’s application to monitor and record data on the EVs’ electricity consumption. The application facilitated the capture of photographs of the adaptor, meter readings, the EVs, and their owners to ensure data accuracy and authenticity.

This unique data collection technology enabled seamless daily monitoring and data recording. The application was crucial for capturing comprehensive data points, including:

  – Electricity consumption readings.

  – Distance traveled by the EVs.

  – Visual confirmation through pictures.

The collected data provided valuable insights into the electricity consumption of EVs, which is helpful for the client to claim carbon credits.

By supporting the use of electric vehicles, the survey promotes a reduction in carbon footprint, cleaner air, and sustainable transportation solutions.

Anaxee’s survey in Rajasthan and Delhi showcases the effective use of technology and fieldwork to gather essential data on electric vehicle usage. This initiative not only supports environmental sustainability but also aids in the efficient claiming of carbon credits, driving further adoption of electric vehicles.

Anaxee was recently featured in The Financial Express, a leading Indian business publication. 

This Article highlights our ambitious goal of becoming India’s largest last-mile outreach and data collection network with a network of 100,000 digital runners by 2025.

While talking to Financial Express, Our COO, Arti Agrawal, sheds light on Anaxee’s unique approach to business, and the exciting plans we have for the future.

This Article talks about: 

Anaxee’s Diverse Service Offerings: How we empower brands & businesses with market mapping, data collection, order taking, surveys, and more.

The Power of Digital Runners: How our tech-enabled Digital Runners support businesses in reaching new customers.

Bridging the Geographical Gap: Anaxee utilizes local people to overcome geographical barriers and facilitate direct customer engagement.

Strategic Partnerships: How Anaxee has collaborated with leading e-commerce companies to expand their reach.

And What’s Next For Anaxee: A glimpse into our vision of removing geographical barriers and enabling data-driven growth for businesses across India.

Stay tuned for more exciting updates from Anaxee Digital Runners. 

Meanwhile, check out the full article here!

Link: https://www.financialexpress.com/business/industry-anaxee-aims-to-be-largest-last-mile-data-collection-network-with-100000-digital-runners-2652225/