Carbon Sequestration Potential of Agroforestry Systems in India

TLDR

Forests are major carbon sinks, and agroforestry offers a way to combine climate adaptation and mitigation by enhancing carbon sequestration and system resilience, though effective management is required. The paper reviews agroforestry systems’ role in carbon mitigation. The review synthesizes studies estimating carbon stocks in Indian agroforestry systems and discusses overcoming technical, financial, and institutional barriers to maximize mitigation.

Abstract

Forestry has been recognized as a means to reduce CO2 emissions as well as enhancing carbon sinks. Forests are a large sink of carbon and their role in carbon cycles is well recognized. This paper reviews the role of agroforestry systems in carbon mitigation. Agroforestry provides a unique opportunity to combine the twin objectives of climate change adaptation and mitigation. It has the ability to enhance the resilience of the system for coping with the adverse impacts of climate change. Agroforestry systems offer important opportunities of creating synergies between both adaptation and mitigation actions. Various authors have carried out studies to estimate carbon stocks in different agroforestry systems in India. Agroforestry systems have the potential to provide significant mitigation options but they require proper management that influences the amount of carbon sequestered. The role of agroforestry practices in climate change mitigation in India can be realized to its full potential by overcoming various technical, financial and institutional barriers.