CDM and Forestry Sector in India

Carbon Pool of Forestry Sector in India The growing stock of the country has been estimated to be 4,740 million m³. Total above ground biomass in Indian forests as million tonnes. The average biomass carbon of the forest ecosystems in India for the year 1994 is 46 Mg C ha.

GHG Mitigation Potential of Forestry Sector in India Natural regeneration Enhanced Natural Regeneration Afforestation/reforestation of wastelands Agro forestry

GHG mitigation potential of forestry sector in India Mitigation Option Land Availability Mha Average Carbon Sequestration Average Cost Per Hectare US $ per tC Natural regeneration MgC/ha per year Enhanced Natural Regeneration to 3 mtC/ha/year Afforestatio/Reforestation Of Wastelands to 3 mtC/ha/year Agro forestry t C/ha/year

The Secondary Social and Environmental Benefits Restoration and maintenance of biodiversity Decreased soil erosion and increased fertility due to enhanced soil carbon Increased water tables by maintaining watershed hydrology Helping to attain food security Secure land tenure

CDM Modalities and Procedures Definitional eligibility for forest and afforestation / reforestation Additionality and baseline criterion Leakage and permanence issues

CDM and Forestry Sector (LULUCF) The LULUCF options allows industrialized countries to receive credits from carbon sequestration projects in developing countries up to a limit of 1% of their base-year emissions times five to cover the commitment period 2008–2012. Forest is “a minimum area of land of hectares with tree crown cover (or equivalent stocking level) of more than 10-30% with trees with the potential to reach a minimum height of 2-5 meters at maturity in situ”,

Afforestation is direct human induced conversion of land that has not been forested for the last 50 years to forested land. Reforestation on land that was forested but was converted to a non forestry land use and did not contain forest on 31 st Dec, Leakage is “the net change of anthropogenic emissions by sources of greenhouse gases which occurs outside the project boundary, and which is measurable and attributable to the CDM project activity”.

“An afforestation or reforestation project activity is additional if the net enhancement of sinks is higher than that which would have occurred in the absence of the registered CDM project activity” “The baseline for a CDM project activity is the scenario that reasonably represents the anthropogenic emissions by sources of greenhouse gases that would occur in the absence of the proposed project activity.

CDM and Forestry Mitigation Option in India

Conclusion The practical option available for India under LULUCF CDM rules and procedures for first commitment period are plantation on non- forest wastelands and farm forestry. The options are constrained by procedural issues of baseline, permanence and leakage of forest carbon due to domestic environmental policies, CPR issues, and socio-economic condition of forest dependent people and institutional dynamics of local governing bodies. The high cost of carbon sequestration of these options would also make these carbon credits difficult to find buyers in the current CERs market.

Recommendations Need to harmonize domestic policies with international treaties and conventions. Include valuation of other ecological benefits for quantification of benefits. Measures to reduce transaction cost.