Blue Carbon and Policy Frameworks for Climate Mitigation

Context:

India is advancing its efforts in blue carbon ecosystem conservation through afforestation under the NamamiGangeProgramme and new schemes such as MISHTI, even as explicit national guidelines for blue carbon remain under development.

Blue Carbon Ecosystems – Definition and Significance:

Blue carbon ecosystems include mangroves, seagrass meadows, and salt marshes, which absorb and store atmospheric CO?.
These ecosystems act as natural carbon sinks, support biodiversity, reduce coastal erosion, and function as climate adaptation buffers.

NamamiGangeProgramme and Afforestation:

The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) includes components indirectly contributing to blue carbon sequestration.
Between 2016–17 and 2022–23, a total of 33,024 hectares of plantations were carried out across 5 states — Uttarakhand (12,306 ha), Uttar Pradesh (9,166 ha), Bihar (8,554 ha), Jharkhand (884 ha), and West Bengal (2,115 ha) — based on a DPR prepared by the Forest Research Institute (FRI), Dehradun.

MISHTI Initiative (2023–24):

Announced in Union Budget 2023–24 and launched on 5th June 2023 (World Environment Day) by MoEFCC.
MISHTI (Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats & Tangible Incomes) aims to conserve and restore mangrove ecosystems by leveraging convergence with State CAMPA, MGNREGS, and National CAMPA (for gap-funding).
Tamil Nadu has not yet submitted a plan under MISHTI, though it received ?220.43 lakhs (2017–18 to 2022–23) for mangrove restoration under the National Coastal Mission.

Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS):

Notified on 28th June 2023 under the Energy Conservation (Amendment) Act, 2022.
Operates via two mechanisms: (i) Compliance mechanism, and (ii) Offset mechanism.
Overseen by Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) and National Steering Committee for the Indian Carbon Market (NSCICM).
No technical assistance has yet been given to Tamil Nadu or other States under CCTS.

Gaps and Future Policy Scope:

While restoration activities are ongoing, there is no dedicated implementation framework or national guidelines for Blue Carbon projects.
The government promotes community involvement and Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) in restoration, but blue carbon is not explicitly included in India's NDC targets under the Paris Agreement.

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