Greenhouse gas emissions reduction potential of the forest of the Terai Arc landscape of Nepal

Abstract

Global concern over climate change and potential effects of forests has derived both challenges and opportunities in modern forestry over the past decades. Since the forests are source and sink of Greenhouse Gases (GHGs) emissions, accounting carbon budget has received much attention in recent years. The size of global carbon pool in forest has been estimated 359 gegatonnes of carbon (IPCC,2000), whereas global emissions from deforestation contribute 20 to 25 percent of all GHGs emissions (Sedjo and Sohngen, 2007). Considering the size and potential climate effects of anthropogenic activities on forest, management of forest carbon has been recognized as an important element of international climate agreement. Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD⁺) has been one of the key agenda in the recent conferenceof parties of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC).To materialize REDD⁺in to tangible financing mechanism to address climate change mitigation, it is essential to have reliable baseline informationon carbon stock. The study aimed to quantify emissions reduction potential of the forest across the Terai Arc Landscape of Nepal for the purpose of establishing base lie for future REDD⁺ project.