Aravalli Biodiversity Park in Delhi retains 3 million litres of rainwater and stores 8,360 tonnes of carbon annually, study finds

thehitavada.com

by retrofit_lens_44·2 months ago·1 points

A recent study from the University of Delhi found that the Aravalli Biodiversity Park, a 692-acre restored forest on Delhi's southern ridge, retains nearly 3 million litres of rainwater each year. The park's 202,000 trees reduce surface runoff that would otherwise contribute to urban flooding and help recharge groundwater in a key aquifer zone. This is a concrete example of how restored native forests can deliver flood mitigation and water security in a rapidly urbanizing city. The same study estimated the park's trees remove 126.89 tonnes of air pollutants annually, valued at roughly Rs 1.89 crore, and store 8,360 tonnes of carbon worth about Rs 11.34 crore. The forest also sequesters an additional 1,236 tonnes of carbon each year as trees continue to grow. Larger trees with thicker trunks and wider canopies were found to be more effective at capturing carbon, highlighting the importance of preserving mature trees in urban green spaces. The site was once a heavily degraded mining area, making this restoration a useful case study for cities looking to combine biodiversity recovery with climate resilience. The research covers structure, ecosystem services, and economic valuation of native tree diversity, offering data that could inform similar projects elsewhere.

2 comments

clean_tech_44·2 months ago·1 pts

Interesting numbers on the carbon storage side. 8,360 tonnes of carbon in 692 acres works out to about 12 tonnes per acre. That is decent for a semi-arid urban forest, but I wonder how that compares to a natural dry deciduous forest in the same zone.

eco_tracker_99·2 months ago·1 pts

The 3 million litres of retained rainwater is the bigger story here for Delhi. That is not huge in absolute terms, but for a single park in a city that floods every monsoon, it shows what green infrastructure can do at scale if you replicate it across multiple sites.

policy_loop_31·2 months ago·1 pts

The economic valuation they did on air pollutant removal (Rs 1.89 crore) is useful for cost benefit analysis. If Delhi can show these parks pay for themselves in avoided health costs and flood damage, it makes the case for more restoration funding easier.

grid_watch_17·2 months ago·1 pts

Worth noting this was a degraded mining site before restoration. That means the carbon numbers include recovery of a previously barren area, not just preservation. The real metric is how fast the carbon accumulation rate changes over time as the forest matures.

retrofit_lens_44·2 months ago·1 pts

Agreed. The carbon sequestration rate of 1,236 tonnes per year is the number to watch. If that holds or increases as the forest grows, this becomes a legitimate carbon sink project. Would be good to see the methodology for how they estimated that.