New Delhi, November 8
Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav today said India was committed to conserving and restoring natural ecosystems and could contribute to the global knowledge base due to its vast experience in the restoration of mangroves—among the most carbon-rich forests in the tropics, accounting for 3 per cent of carbon sequestered by tropical forests in the world.
Mangroves offer hope
To sustain the blue economy, it is imperative to ensure the sustainability of coastal habitats, particularly mangroves, for tropical nations at the local, regional and international levels. Bhupender Yadav, Union minister
Speaking at the launch of the Mangrove Alliance for Climate (MAC) at COP27 at Sharm El-Sheikh in Egypt, Yadav said: “There has been a significant increase in mangroves cover in India in Andaman, Sundarbans and Gujarat.” “India has demonstrated expertise in mangrove restoration activities for nearly five decades and restored different types of mangrove ecosystems both on its east and west coasts,” he said.
“One of the largest remaining areas of mangroves in the world, the Sundarbans, supports an exceptional level of biodiversity in both terrestrial and marine environments, including significant populations of a range of flora and fauna species, including Bengal Tiger and threatened species such as estuarine crocodile and Indian python,” Yadav said.
On the launch of MAC for the conservation of mangroves with cross-boundary cooperation to meet intentional climate goals, Yadav said: “We feel that the integration of mangroves into the national REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) programmes are the need of the hour.”
“India can contribute to the global knowledge base due to its vast experience in mangrove restoration, studies on ecosystem valuation and carbon sequestration. It can associate with other nations to find cutting-edge solutions and generate appropriate financial instruments for mangrove conservation and restoration,” he added.
The UN climate summit this year is being held in the shadow of the Russian aggression in Ukraine and the related energy crisis, which has strained the capabilities of countries to urgently tackle climate change.
