From Adaptation to Mitigation cum Adaptive Response

An Inventory of Blue Carbon related Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC’s) published by the IUCN, classifies the respective Climate Change, including, for example, the reduction of particulate matter (PM) emissions that can directly alter the radiation balance (e.g., black carbon) or measures that control emissions of carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides (NOx), Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and other pollutants that can alter the concentration of tropospheric ozone (O3) which has an indirect effect on the climate.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;b&gt;Source: &lt;/b&gt;&lt;b&gt;IPCC&lt;/b&gt;</div>" data-gt-translate-attributes="[{"attribute":"data-cmtooltip", "format":"html"}]">mitigation and Climate Change. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Source: UNFCCC</div>" data-gt-translate-attributes="[{"attribute":"data-cmtooltip", "format":"html"}]">adaptation actions as identified in the countries’ NDC’s. India’s NDC, without mentioning “blue carbon”, takes only adaptation approach for conservation and management of coastal zones for Climate Change through mangroves and other coastal ecosystem. It has not specifically recognized both adaptation and mitigation (mitigation co-benefits).  The table based on Duarte et al. lists down the Climate Change adaptation and mitigation potential of seaweeds:

The mitigation cum adaptation potential of seaweeds remain far from utilization. Even at the international arena, the potential of seaweed in the context of Climate Change was recognized, only very recently by the IUCN. Subsequently, the International Blue Carbon Initiative coordinated by the Conservation International (CI), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (IOC-UNESCO), which has so far focused on mangroves, tidal marshes and seagrasses has discussed the potential of seaweeds and resolved to address the differences in literature with regard to potential of seaweed aquaculture in Climate Change mitigation. With such an international progress and indigenous research indicating the carbon sequestration potential of seaweeds, seaweed aquaculture can be developed with cross-cutting policies that combat Climate Change, rather than taking an isolated approach for extraction through culture. It is high time to integrate Climate Change mitigation and adaptation approaches into other policies to “simultaneously advance economic and environmental objectives” as envisioned in the National Action Plan on Climate Change.

ENDNOTES:

 (1) Seaweeds are different from seagrasses. Seaweeds are macroalgae lacking roots, whereas seagrasses are rooted plants. See https://www.cms.int/dugong/sites/default/files/publication/seagrass_vs_seaweed_infographic_e.pdf for more information on differences between seagrass and seaweeds.

(2) See Breanna M. Roque et al., Inclusion of Asparagopsis armata in lactating dairy cows’ diet reduces enteric methane emission by over 50 percent, 234 Journal of Cleaner Production (10 October 2019).