India commits to carbon sink at COP27 climate summit

India in its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) committed to creating an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent through additional forest and tree cover by 2030, Indian Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav said.

Speaking at the launch of the Mangrove Alliance for Climate (MAC), Yadav said that creating the new carbon sink from mangrove afforestation and reducing emissions from mangrove deforestation are two feasible ways for countries to meet their NDC targets and achieve carbon neutrality.

"Mangroves are one of the most productive ecosystems of the world. This tidal forest serves as a nursery ground for several organisms, protects the coastal erosion, sequestering the carbon and providing a livelihood for millions of people besides harbouring an array of faunal elements in its habitat," he said.

Mangroves are distributed in the tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world and are found in 123 countries. Mangroves are among the most carbon-rich forests in the tropics. They account for 3 per cent of carbon sequestered by the world's tropical forests.

(ANI)