INDIA’S FOREST CARBON STOCK

NEWS: India’s Forest Carbon Stock May Nearly Double by 2100

ABOUT

• Indian researchers estimate how India’s forest carbon stock may change under different emission scenarios.
• Projects living carbon biomass will grow by 35% under low emissions, 62% under medium, and 97% under high emissions by 2100.
• Carbon stock gainsàmainly increase in desert, semi-arid, Trans-Himalayan, and Indo-Gangetic forests, with modest gains in Western Ghats, Northeast, and Himalayan forests.
• Higher CO2 levels + regional precipitationà expected to increase photosynthetic activity and expand forest biomass.
• The Forest Survey of India (FSI) à Estimates show a more gradual rise of about 5% during 2013–2023, about 25% by 2030 over 2013 levels.
• The study shows achieving India’s updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) target needs region-specific, climate-sensitive, prevention-focused forest management.

About India’s Forest Carbon Stock

• Forest carbon stockà Total carbon stored in living biomass, dead wood, litter, and forest soils.
• India’s forest carbon stock was about 7.29 billion tonnes according to the ISFR 2023.
• Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) makes up ~56% of India’s total forest carbon stock.
• Arunachal Pradesh has the highest forest carbon stock, followed by Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Maharashtra.