Topic: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment
Q6. “Declining carbon-use efficiency points to weakening forest resilience”. Discuss. How should India adapt its climate policy to this emerging challenge? (10 M)
Difficulty Level: Medium
Reference: DTE
Why the question
Recent IIT Kharagpur study highlighted a 5–12% fall in carbon sequestration in Indian forests, linking it to declining carbon-use efficiency and weakening resilience under climate change.Key Demand of the question
The question requires explaining how declining carbon-use efficiency reflects weakening forest resilience, and then suggesting how India should adapt its climate policy to address this challenge.Structure of the Answer:
Introduction
Define carbon-use efficiency and link it with forest resilience.
Body –
- Discuss how declining carbon-use efficiency signals reduced photosynthesis, vulnerability to droughts, fires, and fragmentation.
- Suggest how India’s climate policy can adapt, including afforestation quality, water–forest integration, fire management, monitoring, and REDD+ mechanisms.
Conclusion
Give a forward-looking statement on integrating forest health into India’s net-zero pathway.
