PROTECTING THE CARBON SEQUESTERS-THE MANGROVE STUDY

 India's ecology is blessed with a wide range of forests, with the Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation defining as many as 9 land use categories. With environmental issues taking centre stage at various national & international conventions & summits, it becomes important to recognise, designate & protect all endemic flora, which offer vital services both towards global warming & also protect our species in various ways.

Mangroves are one such plant species with benefits varying from providing cushion against natural disasters like floods to providing crucial habitats to marine & terrestrial ecosystems. They also act as carbon sinks, i.e., they release less carbon dioxide than they absorb, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions. They protect water quality by removing pollutants from stormwaters before they reach the coastal areas. Mangroves, in their role as conservers of crucial habitats, also promote economic activity as they enable shrimp farming, which becomes an important source of livelihood for the coastal & tribal economies, which might be a step in the right direction towards the government of India's goal of doubling farmers's incomes. They also play a crucial role in generating carbon credits, which can be sold in carbon markets. The Blue Carbon Initiative, of which India is a part, actively promotes conservation & restoration of coastal ecosystems like mangroves, seagrass beds & salt marshes to mitigate climate change. 

In spite of the various benefits provided by these forests, their protection is subject to various challenges such as habitat destruction due to development, dredging, the threat of invasive species, overfishing, land use conflicts, weak regulatory frameworks, and deforestation & pollution from agricultural & industrial sources, among others. Presently & recently, the Government of India has launched the MISHTI (Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitat & Tangible Income) scheme & the LiFE (Lifestyle For Environment) scheme in this sector to address various issues concerning the mangrove ecosystem & the environment.

In order to better conserve this stockpile of a precious species, which naturally helps India & the global stand against global warming, the national & international community must come together to ensure that the bottlenecks in its preservation & conservation are addressed, which will thereby help India in achieving its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) towards reducing emissions intensity of its GDP by 45% by 2030 from 2005 levels & about 50% of the cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil-fuel-based energy resources by 2030. With India being a critical part of the UNESCO's Man & Biosphere Program & home to 4 recognised biodiversity hotspots: the Himalayas, the Western Ghats, the Indo-Burma region & Sundaland, it becomes an imperative and a responsibility for the policymakers in India to protect this valuable species.


Harsh Bansal

The views expressed are personal.

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