India has claimed that over the last two decades, it has not only managed to reverse deforestation but has also managed to transform its forests into a significant net sink of carbon-di-oxide (CO2).

This has been stated in a first of its kind document “India’s Forest and Tree Cover-Contribution as a Carbon Sink” that was released in Dehradun by the union environment minister Jairam Ramesh on the sidelines of the convocation of the probationers of the Indian Forest Service at the Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy on Monday. This is the first ever such document coming from the developing world.

Its release is being seen as a vital step in the run up to the climate change negotiations in Copenhagen scheduled to be held in December. Ramesh said that the findings would come in handy while putting across India’s stand in future negotiations on climate change.

The report claims,” From 1995 to 2005, the carbon stocks stored in our forests and trees have increased from 6,245 million tones (mt) to 6662 mt, registering an annual increment of 38 mt of carbon or 138 mt of CO2 equivalent.”

Referring to the mitigation service by India’s forest and tree cover, the report states,” Our estimates show that the annual CO2 removals by India’s forest and tree cover is enough to neutralize 11.25 per cent of India’s Green House Gas (GHG) emissions (CO2 equivalent) at 1994 levels, the most recent year for which comparable data is available for developing countries based on their respective National Communications (NATCOMS) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC).”

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