Blue Vaults of NATURE

In the race against climate change, oceans' underrated warriors— mangroves and marshlands— can emerge as finest solutions if their full carbon removal potential is explored and capitalised upon

- KRISHNA GUPTA

In the past few articles we have discussed various ways of removing carbon dioxide from the air, such as Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS), Direct Air Capture (DAC), Enhanced Rock Weathering (ERW) and biochar. Marshlands, mangroves and sea grasses provide a natural mechanism for removing carbon dioxide from the air (These are also referred to as Blue Carbon). They also provide natural and positive externalities such as increased biodiversity in the coastal and marine ecosystem, and a natural bulwark against cyclones and storms. Mangroves are, however, under threat and are fast disappearing from various parts of the world and need to be protected.

In a previous article on blue carbon, we had looked at it from the viewpoint of Adaptation. In this article, we will focus on the carbon dioxide removal aspect of Blue Carbon.

The Importance of Blue Carbon in CDR

In the previous article, we had defined blue carbon as any carbon stored and sequestered by the ocean. In coastal areas, blue carbon is basically the carbon stored in vegetation such as mangroves, sea grasses and sea marshes and the deep soils that remain under water.