Landscape design for terrestrial carbon sequestration responding to climate change: a case of Indore

Abstract

Climate Change is widely acknowledged to threaten the well-being of humans and natural systems. At this point, cutting emissions is not enough to keep warming under 1.50 C, removing carbon dioxide is necessary (IPCC 2018) and thus Natural Climate Solutions or the sequestration of Carbon is one of the most feasible and important solutions with positive co-benefits for the human and natural environment. Carbon Sequestration in this project refers to the biological process where plants absorb carbon from the atmosphere through the process of photosynthesis and transfer it to the soil for long-term storage. The approach is to translate and interpret literature to create an actionable design program that can be used to sequester carbon. Net Carbon Emissions are calculated according to the land use for the city of Indore and an area with very high net carbon emissions is selected for detailed study and demonstration of the design. The landscape assessment indicates that the selected area has poor soil quality and degraded landscapes due to which the vegetation is not able to flourish and hence has low carbon sequestration. The proposal focuses on developing a land-use plan for the study area that focuses on increasing the carbon sequestration potential. This is intended to be done by restoring forest and degraded landscapes, naturalizing parks, reviving streams, promoting regenerative agriculture, greening streets, roadways and engaging communities in the process of conservation and management. The process of carbon sequestration will not only help in creating a climate-resilient environment but also benefit humans socially as well as economically.