India's Forest Carbon Sinks Under Threat: Jairam Ramesh Highlights Urgent Concerns
Former Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh highlighted a study showing that India's forest carbon sinks are weakening due to climate change. He emphasized the need for enhancing and protecting forests. Ramesh criticizes the reliance on compensatory afforestation, noting most recorded forest areas are degraded.
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In an alarming revelation, former Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh has pointed out a study indicating the weakening of forest carbon sinks in India amid ongoing and future climate change scenarios. He underlined the critical need to uplift and safeguard forest quality.
Ramesh, the Congress general secretary, emphasized that while forests are vital as natural carbon sinks, climate change might diminish their absorptive capacity. He expressed concerns that perceived forest greenness does not necessarily translate to effective carbon absorption.
The study, conducted by two scientists at IIT Kharagpur, was detailed through remote sensing analysis. Ramesh criticized the current belief that compensatory afforestation can replace the loss of quality forests, noting that the majority of forest areas are already degraded and of poor quality.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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