New Delhi, Nov 8 (IANS): Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on Tuesday said that India is committed towards creating an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent through additional forest and tree cover by 2030.
In his address at the launch of the Mangrove Alliance for Climate (MAC) at COP 27, Egypt, Yadav said: "We see the tremendous potential mangroves have for mitigation of growing green house gases (GHG) concentration in the atmosphere. Studies have shown that mangrove forests can absorb four to five times more carbon emissions than landed tropical forests."
"India is committed to conservation and restoration of natural ecosystems and has strong commitments towards conservation and management of mangroves. One of the largest remaining areas of mangroves in the world, the Sundarbans supports an exceptional level of biodiversity in both the terrestrial and marine environments, including significant populations of a range of flora and plant species," he said.
Yadav also said that "India can contribute to the global knowledge base due to its extensive experience in mangrove restoration, studies on ecosystem valuation and carbon sequestration and also benefit from associating with other nations regarding cutting-edge solutions and generating appropriate financial instruments for mangrove conservation and restoration".
The MAC initiative brings the world together to advance the global cause of mangroves.