Blue Carbon: Mangroves, Seagrasses, and Climate Mitigation

TOPIC CLASSIFICATION

Subject: Environment & Ecology - Coastal and Marine Ecosystems
Sub-topic: Blue Carbon - Mangroves, Seagrasses, Salt Marshes as Carbon Sinks; Role in Climate Mitigation; India's Blue Carbon Potential
Mains GS Paper-III: Environment - conservation of coastal ecosystems, climate change mitigation, carbon sequestration.

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EXAMINER REASONING

Blue carbon is a high-yield emerging topic - the examiner is increasingly testing it because it connects ocean ecosystems, carbon cycles, and climate policy. Prelims tests: definition of blue carbon, examples (mangroves, seagrasses, salt marshes), why they are important (5-10x more carbon stored per ha than terrestrial forests), Ramsar sites. Mains demands: (a) the science of blue carbon - why coastal ecosystems are superior carbon sinks, (b) India's blue carbon assets - Sundarbans (mangroves), Chilika/Pulicat (seagrasses), Gulf of Kutch, (c) threats - coastal development, aquaculture, pollution, climate change (sea level rise), (d) blue carbon in climate policy - Paris Agreement, NDCs, Green Credit Programme, (e) conservation measures - MISHTI scheme, Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms. The examiner's favourite framing is: "Can blue carbon ecosystems help India meet its NDC targets?"

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Core Concept

What is Blue Carbon?

Blue carbon is the carbon stored in coastal and marine ecosystems - primarily...