How does heat stress affect India's forests?

Heat stress reduces forests' photosynthetic efficiency, causing them to absorb less CO2 and weakening their capacity to act as carbon sinks.

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India aims to achieve Net Zero emissions by the year 2070.

Why are wetlands and blue carbon ecosystems important for India?

These ecosystems store large amounts of carbon in their soils and are vital but often overlooked components of India's climate mitigation strategy.

Home / Environment / Heat Stress Threatens Forests, Undermining India's Climate Plan

Heat Stress Threatens Forests, Undermining India's Climate Plan

25 Nov, 2025

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Summary

Forests absorb less CO2 during heat extremes, impacting India's net-zero goal.
India ranks fifth globally in carbon sequestration by forests.
Wetlands and blue carbon ecosystems are undervalued and under-monitored.

Heat Stress Threatens Forests, Undermining India's Climate Plan

New scientific evidence reveals that forests and blue-carbon ecosystems are absorbing less carbon dioxide under heat stress, jeopardizing India's Net Zero by 2070 pathway. Intense warm extremes diminish plants' photosynthetic capacity, reducing their ability to sequester carbon. This vulnerability was highlighted when natural sinks absorbed less CO2 than anticipated recently, narrowing the timeframe for decarbonization efforts.

India, ranked fifth globally for forest carbon sinks, faces a critical challenge. While tree cover is increasing, its functional capacity to absorb carbon is uncertain due to heat, drought, and fragmentation. Wetlands and coastal blue carbon, storing significant soil carbon, are largely excluded from climate accounting, hindering their mitigation potential.