Carbon Capture Focus now on Mangroves
They store three to five times more carbon per equivalent area than tropical forests.
Current studies suggest that mangroves and coastal wetlands annually sequester carbon at a rate ten times greater than mature tropical forests. They also store three to five times more carbon per equivalent area than tropical forests. Most coastal blue carbon is stored in the soil, not in above-ground plant materials as with tropical forests.
Coastal habitats are important for capturing carbon—but their destruction poses a great risk. When these habitats are damaged or destroyed, it is not only their carbon sequestration capacity that is lost. Carbon stored in the habitats can also be released, contributing to increased levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
Unfortunately, coastal habitats around the world are being lost at a rapid rate, largely due to coastal development for housing, ports, and commercial facilities.
A seminar and workshop on ‘Blue Carbon’ at Ahmedabad University organized by the United Nations Global Ocean Decade Programme for Blue Carbon with different stakeholders focused on the state’s unique coastal and marine ecosystem and emphasized the conservation of mangroves, algae, saltmarshes and seaweeds and their restoration in the face of human activity.
The workshop on Jan 24 and 25 was also supported by Gujarat Institute of Desert Ecology (GUIDE) and UK-based University of St Andrews.
The organizers said Gujarat ranks second among Indian states with 1,175 sq km or 24% of the country’s mangrove cover. The state also has one of the highest coastal wetland spreads at 34,700 sq km. Researchers focused on mangroves with their ability to store up to 10 times more carbon per hectare than most forests on land. The experts said they function as excellent blue carbon sinks to mitigate emissions.
Prof Minal Pathak of Ahmedabad University said the term Blue Carbon describes the disproportionately large contribution of the coastal vegetation ecosystem to carbon sequestration. “Destruction of such ecosystems also releases stored greenhouse gases. Gujarat is blessed with coastline which is conducive for mangrove growth,” she said.