Wayanad gets its first carbon assessment report
Wayanad has achieved a significant milestone by becoming the first district in India to produce a Carbon Assessment Report at the district panchayat level. The report was released in function called Jaithire. District level Agrobiodiversity and Climate Summit jointly organized by the District Panchayath, District Biodiversity Management Committee and Hume Centre for Ecology
The report discloses that the annual greenhouse gas emissions in the district amount to 20,46,257.14 tons of carbon, with a per capita release of greenhouse gasses equivalent to 2.5 tons of carbon. Notably, the energy sector contributes significantly, making up 80.7% of the total greenhouse gas emissions.
Agriculture, forestry, and other land uses contribute approximately 2.14 lakh tons equivalent carbon, accounting for about 10.5% of the total greenhouse gas emissions. Furthermore, the waste sector is responsible for releasing 180,416.44 tonnes of equivalent carbon. The study also highlights that the district has the capacity to sequester a total of 65,000 tones of carbon.
For the 2021-22 year, the total greenhouse gas emission in Wayanad district is reported to be 1,396,257.14 tones of carbon equivalent, with a per capita emission of 1.71 tones of carbon equivalent. The report was unveiled during the Wayanad Climate Assembly, also known as Jathire. This program, organized by the Wayanad District Panchayath and the Wayanad Biodiversity Management Committee, focuses on raising awareness about agro-biodiversity conservation activities in response to climate change. Hume Centre takes pride in being a part of this significant initiative.
The Children’s Climate Assembly, held as part of Jaathire, welcomed students from the Climate Cadets Program of the Hume Centre to engage in discussions about climate change. The chief guest of the program was the district collector of Wayanad, Dr. Renu Raj IAS. The program commenced with the welcome address by Mr. Ashvin Lucka of GHS Meppadi, followed by the presidential address given by Mr. Munavar of WISE School Korome, and concluded with the vote of thanks given by Mr. Hamza of WISE School Korome.
Humes Climate Cadets in District Climate Summit.
Niharika and Niya of SKMJ School discussed how the degradation of the wetland ecosystem in Wayanad affects the survival of wetland birds. They compared the diversity of wetland birds in organically and inorganically cultivated wetlands, wetlands converted to arecanut plantations, and wetlands converted to house plots.
Arjun and Devananda of GHS Athirattukunnu discussed how stream widening for flood control impacts local biodiversity and riverine ecosystems. They compared the biodiversity of two riverine ecosystems: one where stream widening was implemented and one where stream widening was not carried out.
Adithya, Fayida, and Joel of GHS Vythiri discussed how tourism has impacted land use change in Lakkidi. They mapped the number and size of buildings related to tourism laid in the area over the past 12 years. They also analyzed the types of land on which the new buildings were constructed and examined how this affects the local ecosystem and microclimate of Lakkidi and the Vythiri area.
Lakshmi and Shivon of SKMJ School compared the biodiversity value and carbon sequestration capacity of coffee agroecosystems. They examined the carbon sequestration capacity of open and closed coffee plantations, as well as the biodiversity in both types of plantations, to assess the effectiveness of shade coffee farming in mitigating climate change.
Rithwiksha and Aanju of GHS Cheeral discussed the ecosystem services provided by termites. They explored how the number of termite mounds in an ecosystem is influenced by the land use practices within that ecosystem. Additionally, they studied the formation and structure of termite mounds, as well as the social structure of termite colonies and the roles of individual members within a termite colony.
Gayathri and Saranya of GVHSS Munderi evaluated the impacts of the spread of peacocks onto farmlands and its effects on farming communities. They also examined how changing climate conditions can be linked to the spread of the peacock population.
Dils of GVHSS Munderi discussed the effects of climate change on agriculture in Wayanad, focusing on paddy, coffee, and pepper crops. He elaborated on how climate change affects these crops throughout their lifecycle, from planting to growing and harvesting stages. Dils also addressed the diseases affecting these crops and the measures implemented to control them.
