Preventing catastrophic losses

Restoration of ecosystems like mangroves, grasslands, and wetlands is essential for carbon sequestration, soil health, biodiversity, and overall climate resilience

- SHOVANLAL CHAKRABORTY

Natural ecosystems have been severely exploited as a result of the Anthropocene era, which has also increased carbon dioxide levels. In the middle of the 18th century, carbon dioxide levels were 280 ppm; today, they are at 421 ppm. Both climate catastrophe and loss of nature are interrelated and must be tackled together. The natural world needs to recover so that it can cope with the climate change that is already happening. Nature’s major systems such as agricultural lands, coastal ecosystems like wetlands and mangroves and grasslands and tropical rainforests are carbon sinks, playing an important role in climate change by absorbing more carbon than they release. These are the reservoirs through which carbon cycles. Carbon is a determinant of healthy soil. Organic carbon is food for soil organisms. The higher the percentage of carbon, the better and more diverse the soil microorganisms in it. Climate change is one of the biggest threats that nature faces in the decades ahead. The requirement for food production will be greater than ever, with the population rising to 8 billion in 2023. The biggest challenge for Indian agriculture is the poor organic carbon content in our soils. Around 67 per cent of Indian states are low in soil organic carbon. Soil carbon is essential for water retention, controlling soil erosion, nutrient cycling and improving the soil structure. India, with 170 million hectares, has a huge potential for integrating soil organic carbon into its national mitigation strategies. Ecosystems with high biodiversity segregate and isolate more carbon in the soil.