A new study from the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) suggests the Western Ghats could become one of India's most important natural carbon sinks by the end of the century. Published in the International Journal of Climatology, the research uses CMIP6 models to project Gross Primary Productivity under a high emission scenario. It finds that vegetation productivity across India has risen over the last 30 years and will keep climbing through 2100, with the Western Ghats, Western Himalayas, and Northeast India seeing the largest gains. That means these regions could absorb more CO2 from the atmosphere over time. The study also flags some nuance. The productivity boost is largely driven by higher CO2 levels and increased rainfall, but higher temperatures still suppress plant growth during warm years by adding heat and moisture stress. The authors note that current climate models underestimate GPP compared to satellite data, so the projections come with uncertainty. For India's carbon budgeting and mitigation planning, stronger natural sinks could help offset emissions, but the study warns that increased carbon uptake alone won't fix the broader ecological damage from climate change.
