Restoration Pathway
Afforestation
Afforestation establishes new forest on land that has been without tree cover — sequestering carbon in biomass and soil while rebuilding the ecological functions that degraded landscapes have lost.
Mechanism
How It Works
As trees grow, they fix atmospheric CO₂ through photosynthesis and store it in woody biomass — trunks, branches, and roots — as well as contributing organic matter to soil. Afforestation on degraded land builds carbon stocks from near zero, creating measurable removal over decadal timescales. Prithvi CDR's afforestation projects use native species selected for ecological fit, carbon density, and resilience — prioritising multi-species systems that rebuild habitat structure alongside carbon stocks. Projects are sited on land without recent natural forest, with clear additionality: forest that would not have established without intervention.
Carbon Profile
Permanence
50–100+ years (species, management, and protection dependent)
Stability
Moderate to high — biomass carbon maintained through long-term site protection and management agreements
Verification
Biomass carbon quantified using validated allometric equations for Indian species. Third-party verified at defined monitoring intervals.
A forest is not a plantation. It is a living system — and the difference, measured in carbon, in biodiversity, and in time, is everything.
Co-Benefits
Biodiversity
Native multi-species afforestation rebuilds habitat structure and supports wildlife recovery on degraded land.
Watershed Function
Forest cover restores water infiltration, reduces erosion, and supports groundwater recharge in degraded catchments.
Rural Livelihoods
Community involvement in planting and stewardship provides direct income and long-term livelihood benefits.
Soil Stabilisation
Root systems and leaf litter prevent topsoil loss and begin rebuilding organic matter on bare or eroded land.
Scientific Basis
Scientific Basis
Forest carbon accounting is among the most mature areas of CDR science. Allometric relationships between stem dimensions and total biomass are well established for major Indian tree species, validated through destructive sampling and published in peer-reviewed literature. Additionality is assessed against land-use change baselines. Permanence risk is managed through legal protection, community stewardship agreements, and buffer pool accounting that covers unforeseen disturbance events.