TITLE:
Forestry Interventions and Groundwater Recharge, Sediment Control and Carbon Sequestration in the Krishna River Basin
AUTHORS:
Humachadakatte Ramachandra swamy Prabuddha, Madan Prasad Singh, Prathima Purushotham, Baragur Neelappa Divakara, Tattekere Nanjappa Manohara, Basavarajaiah Shivamma Chandrashekar, Namasivayam Ravi, Nimmala Mohan Reddy, Ombir Singh
KEYWORDS:
Forestry Interventions, Krishna River Basin, Sediment Control, Water Recharge, Carbon Sequestration
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Forestry,
Vol.13 No.4,
October
31,
2023
ABSTRACT: It is a known fact that human activities have a significant impact on
global rivers, making the task of rehabilitating them to their former natural
state or a more semi-natural state quite challenging. The ongoing initiative
called “Rejuvenation of Krishna River through Forestry Interventions” aims
to contribute to the overall river rejuvenation program in the country. In this
context, the effects of forestry interventions on the Krishna River will be
evaluated based on water quantity, water quality, and the potential for carbon
sequestration through plantation efforts. To assess the outcomes of this study,
various methodologies such as Soil Conservation Service Curve Number (SCS-CN), Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) and Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) have
been utilized to estimate water savings, reduction in sedimentation, and carbon
sequestration potential within the Krishna basin. The projected results
indicate that the implementation of forestry plantations and soil and moisture
conservation measures in the Krishna River rejuvenation program could lead to
significant improvements. Specifically, the interventions are expected to
enhance water recharge by 400.49 million cubic meters per year, reduce
sedimentation load by 869.22 cubic meters per year, and increase carbon
sequestration by 3.91 lakh metric tonnes per year or 14.34 lakh metric tonnes
of CO2 equivalent. By incorporating forestry interventions into the
Krishna riverscape, it is anticipated that the quality and quantity of water flowing
through the river will be positively impacted. These interventions will enhance
water infiltration, mitigate soil erosion, and contribute to an improved
vegetation cover, thereby conserving biodiversity. Moreover, they offer
additional intangible benefits such as addressing climate change concerns
through enhanced carbon sequestration potential along the entire stretch of
riverine areas.