VIJAYAWADA: AP has ranked fifth among States in both the extent of land brought under restoration and carbon sequestration achieved through restoration efforts, according to India’s Second Progress Report on the Bonn Challenge: 2011-2020 Assessment of Progress in Restoration Efforts Across the States and Union Territories, released by Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav.
The report states that 1.61 million hectares of land in the State had been brought under restoration between 2011 and 2020.
Data submitted by the State Forest Department show that a total of 16,12,934 hectares were restored during the period, while the Department of Land Resources (DoLR) reported an additional 655 hectares restored between 2018 and 2020.
The State also secured the fifth position nationally in carbon sequestration, with restoration activities contributing an estimated 19.79 million tonnes of carbon (tC) after accounting for mortality.
Carbon sequestration was estimated using the IPCC Good Practice Guidance for Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) methodology. Without factoring in mortality, the sequestration was estimated at 26.39 million tonnes of carbon.
In carbon dioxide equivalent terms, restoration efforts are estimated to have sequestered 72.64 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent after accounting for mortality. The report highlights steady progress in restoration activities across AP during the assessment period. The area brought under restoration increased from 6,981 hectares in 2011-12 to 198,920 hectares in 2019-20, with the highest annual restoration of 312,186 hectares recorded in 2018-19.
Significant restoration efforts were undertaken during 2016-17 and 2017-18, when 274,635 hectares and 229,409 hectares were brought under it. Forest assessments show AP added 5,360.30 sq. km of forest cover and 714 sq. km of tree cover between 2015 and 2020. Tree cover accounted for 2.87% of the State’s geographical area.
The State’s growing stock was estimated at 115.71 million cubic metres in forests and 73.16 million cubic metres in Trees Outside Forests (ToF), while total forest carbon stock stood at 230.22 million tonnes, equivalent to 844.14 million tonnes of CO2.
The report, however, highlighted continuing land degradation challenges. About 2.38 million hectares, or 14.84% of AP’s geographical area, is affected by desertification and land degradation. The degraded area increased by 79,283 hectares between 2011-13 and 2018-19, due to water erosion and vegetation degradation.
The socio-economic assessment found that restoration activities generated 48.28 million person-days of employment between 2011 and 2020. Investments in forest and landscape restoration during the period were estimated at `9,255.4 million, largely funded through domestic public expenditure.