Neem Trees: Nature’s Ally in the Fight Against Climate Change

By Tarina Hawkings

With a lifespan of over 200 years, the neem tree (Azadirchat indica) demonstrates durability and resilience, just two of the qualities that give it ecological importance. While the tree’s bark and leaves have long been used for therapeutic and medicinal purposes, the neem tree’s other natural properties can be harnessed to restore diversity in ecosystems and repair some of the environmental damage causing climate change.

Neem trees will grow in a number of different conditions but they flourish in hot, dry regions where, as well as providing valuable shade, their thick foliage acts as a natural air filter for gaseous pollutants while the leaves, branches and roots absorb large quantities of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Whether they are grown indoors to purify the air, or allowed to flourish outdoors and sequester carbon dioxide, the environmental benefits of neem trees mean that they have become a valuable natural ally in the fight against climate change.

 Positive Impact on Air Quality

The neem Tree is native to North East India where temperatures that are slowly but gradually rising due to global warming can reach 95℉ during the summer months. In the scorching heat, the tree’s lush canopy provides valuable shade and air temperatures of up to 20℉ cooler under the leaves.  When thousands of neem trees are planted together over a large area, they can create a noticeable and positive change to the microclimate and ecosystems surrounding them, attracting pollinators with their flowers and improving the quality of the soil in which they grow.  Neem trees are also very efficient natural air filters as they trap dust and other particles in the atmosphere.

This quality is just as effective when the trees are grown in pots inside. As well as enhancing interior decor with natural greenery, indoor plants and trees can also improve the quality of the indoor air.  It is a long-held belief that a neem tree can purify the air by absorbing pollutants while at the same time adding a sense of grandeur and tranquility to a room.  

High Capacity for Carbon Sequestration

High concentrations of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere have triggered climate change. Through the process of photosynthesis, all trees can help to maintain the delicate balance of natural gasses in the air. However, a study of biomass production and carbon sequestration on an Indian neem tree plantation, published in the International Journal of Bio-Science and Bio-Technology, found that the neem tree’s capacity for isolating and storing carbon was over 160% greater than that of other trees species found growing in the tropics.

Examination of ten-year-old plantation trees showed a total carbon accumulation of over 30 kg per tree, with most of the carbon dioxide stored in the root system and primary branch and greater amounts found in trees with increased diameters. With this potential for storing such large quantities of carbon dioxide, neem tree plantations are an efficient way to combat global warming.

 Ability to Thrive in Harsh Environments

The neem tree is hardy and versatile and as well as growing throughout the lowland tropics of South East Asia and South America, it is being planted in many other areas of the world. While it cannot cope with extended cold temperatures, it does, however, thrive in very hot conditions, where even shade temperatures reach over 120℉.  As well as tolerating extreme heat, neem trees also cope well with water pollution and, due to their extensive taproot that grows twice as long as the above-ground height of the tree, they can be grown to provide shade and sequester carbon dioxide even where soils are stony and sterile.  Indeed, neem trees have the ability to restore and maintain soil fertility as they lose leaves in spring.

The resilience and versatility of the neem tree make it ecologically important in a world fighting against the effects of pollution and global warming. The tree’s leaves absorb pollutants from the air, sequester large amounts of carbon dioxide and provide valuable shade outdoors. At the same time, its deep roots limit erosion and restore soil fertility and allow the tree to thrive in hot and arid environments. With these qualities, neem trees are helping to undo environmental harm and combat climate change around the world.