Carbon Footprint of Karnataka: Accounting of Sources and Sinks
65
has been gradually increasing at an average growth rate of 10% per annum and the
decadal growth rate of vehicles at 138%. The two-wheelers account for 70% of the
registered vehicles across the six divisions (Table 5). The emission from each type of
vehicle was evaluated by computing annual average distance traveled (AADT) [15,
39, 44]. The total emission from the transportation sector has been quantified as,
Et =
V i × A ADT i × E F i, jkm
(6)
where, E t is the total emission from the transportation sector, V i = Number of
vehicles per type i, AADT i is the annual average distance traveled per different
vehicle types and EF i,j,km is the vehicle type (i) emission of factors (j), per driven
kilometer (Table 6).
3.3 Carbon Ratio (CR)
CR was computed as a ratio of total carbon uptake (from AGB, SOC) to the total
emissions across all sectors, which will provide the carbon status across the grids in
Karnataka. CR values of “0” and close to 0 represent the regions of higher emission
and value greater than 1 represent carbon sequestration is higher in that grids.
C R =
(CarbonSequestration)
(Car bon Emission)
(7)
4 Results and Discussion
4.1 Quantifying Spatiotemporal Land-Use Changes
Temporal land-use analyses reveal the decline of forest cover in Karnataka from
1985 to 2019 (Fig. 3). Currently, 15% of the State’s geographical area is under
forests compared with 21% in 1985. Large-scale developmental activities such as the
construction of a series of reservoirs and dams, creation of special economic zones,
townships, land conversion for built-up areas have led to the loss of large tracts of
forests. The abrupt land-use conversion has resulted in a loss of productive agriculture
lands near the cities such as Bengaluru, Mysore, Hubli-Dharwad, Shimoga, etc. The
districts such as Kodagu, Uttara Kannada, Bengaluru, Shimoga, Belgaum, Dakshina
Kannada, and Chikmagalur have been experiencing a large-scale land cover due to
the unplanned developmental activities. Post-1990s, the state witnessed large-scale
land-use transitions due to industrialization, urbanization, an increase of horticulture
crops, conversion from agriculture to market-based crops (higher economic), etc.
65
has been gradually increasing at an average growth rate of 10% per annum and the
decadal growth rate of vehicles at 138%. The two-wheelers account for 70% of the
registered vehicles across the six divisions (Table 5). The emission from each type of
vehicle was evaluated by computing annual average distance traveled (AADT) [15,
39, 44]. The total emission from the transportation sector has been quantified as,
Et =
V i × A ADT i × E F i, jkm
(6)
where, E t is the total emission from the transportation sector, V i = Number of
vehicles per type i, AADT i is the annual average distance traveled per different
vehicle types and EF i,j,km is the vehicle type (i) emission of factors (j), per driven
kilometer (Table 6).
3.3 Carbon Ratio (CR)
CR was computed as a ratio of total carbon uptake (from AGB, SOC) to the total
emissions across all sectors, which will provide the carbon status across the grids in
Karnataka. CR values of “0” and close to 0 represent the regions of higher emission
and value greater than 1 represent carbon sequestration is higher in that grids.
C R =
(CarbonSequestration)
(Car bon Emission)
(7)
4 Results and Discussion
4.1 Quantifying Spatiotemporal Land-Use Changes
Temporal land-use analyses reveal the decline of forest cover in Karnataka from
1985 to 2019 (Fig. 3). Currently, 15% of the State’s geographical area is under
forests compared with 21% in 1985. Large-scale developmental activities such as the
construction of a series of reservoirs and dams, creation of special economic zones,
townships, land conversion for built-up areas have led to the loss of large tracts of
forests. The abrupt land-use conversion has resulted in a loss of productive agriculture
lands near the cities such as Bengaluru, Mysore, Hubli-Dharwad, Shimoga, etc. The
districts such as Kodagu, Uttara Kannada, Bengaluru, Shimoga, Belgaum, Dakshina
Kannada, and Chikmagalur have been experiencing a large-scale land cover due to
the unplanned developmental activities. Post-1990s, the state witnessed large-scale
land-use transitions due to industrialization, urbanization, an increase of horticulture
crops, conversion from agriculture to market-based crops (higher economic), etc.