Wetland-Based Agroforestry Systems: Balancing Between Carbon Sink and Source

Abstract

Wetlands of India, estimated to be 58.2 million ha, are importantrepositories of aquatic biodiversity. The diverse ecoclimatic regimesextant in the country resulted in a variety of wetland systems rangingfrom high altitude cold desert wetland to hot and humid wetlands incoastal zones with its diverse flora and fauna. These ecosystems provideimmense services and commodities to humanity. Wetlands perform numerousvaluable functions such as recycle nutrients, purify water, attenuatefloods, maintain stream flow, recharge ground water, and also serve inproviding livelihood to local people in terms of fish, drinking water,fodder, fuel, and environmental services. With rapidly expanding humanpopulation, wetlands of India are threatened and facing severeanthropogenic pressures. There is obviously much ground to be covered inour conservation efforts of wetlands. Various agencies at local andgovernment level need to join hands in making these viable, functional,and sustainable. Being diversified farming systems, agroforestryopportunities are abundant in rehabilitation of wetland systems. Thenutrient-rich riparian zone provides a suitable site for harnessing theecosystem services of tree-based farming in the flood plains and in theecologically fragile hilly region. Ecologically, wetland use as acomponent in agroforestry may be more acceptable in areas which arefacing frequent/seasonal or permanently flooding. It is envisaged thatwetland agroforestry can alleviate poverty by making substantialcontribution toward local economy in terms of fish and agriculturalproduction.