Mangroves in India

Mangroves are powerful carbon sinks, playing a significant role in carbon sequestration. With mounting global concerns on climate change and sustainability, a look at recent changes in India’s mangrove cover will be useful alongside a close look at the spatial dimension through analysis of State-wise mangrove cover. We use ‘mangrove cover change data visualization charts’ to track the changes in mangrove cover by density classes, overtime (2021-23) and across States. Interpretation of changes in mangrove cover is a tricky task. While a natural transition from open to moderately dense and moderately dense to very dense mangrove cover is clearly an upgrade in ecological functions, a simultaneous change in multiple directions calls for a nuanced analysis. Additionally, the carbon stock per hectare varies by density classes with very dense mangroves storing highest amounts of carbon. This further necessitates understanding the change in carbon sequestration potential of States due to changes in density composition of mangrove cover. States which display a mixed change in density of mangrove cover are West Bengal, Gujarat, Odisha and Tamil Nadu. Plugging in carbon stock per hectare, our analysis finds that West Bengal and Tamil Nadu display a net loss in terms of carbon storage potential of mangroves, while Gujarat and Odisha display a net gain (over 2021-23).

Avicennia · Blue carbon · Carbon sequestration · Carbon stock · Climate change · Mangrove · Rhizophora mucronata · Wetland · Coastal wetland ecosystem dynamics · Land Use and Ecosystem Services · Tropical and Extratropical Cyclones Research