Agro Forest Center

The world is going through very rapid environmental changes resulting in palpable climate change. However, it need not be this way. Watch the transformation of Eco-Nalanda; once arid and barren, now a lush, fertile multispecies forest.

We all need to collectively do our part to help restore the ecology in a sustainable and scientific way. The best thing to do is to start where we are and do what we can. At Karma Nalanda monastery, we undertook the mission of afforestation in a scientific and structured manner.

Our afforestation effort is a continuous commitment with intention to protect in our own limited way, soil erosion, enhance biodiversity and sequester carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Over the years, we have established multi-species forestry plots in degraded land of the monastery and nurtured them. The scientific studies were mentored by senior scientists and their protocols for process and data collection was followed by our monks under the leadership of Karma Rinpoche.

The parameters being assessed were ground biomass, carbon stock and potential of carbon dioxide sequestration. In the pilot study plot of 2.5 hectares with 927 trees belonging to 45 species were recorded. The study plot sequestrated an average of 598.13 tonnes of carbon dioxide with mean annual rate of 59.81 tonnes. A statistically significant positive correlation was found between the above ground biomass and amount of carbon dioxide sequestered.

The research model with data we establish is open for knowledge dissemination the world over to help any group interested in replicating and improving our model of sustainable ecology. We humbly seek funds to continue developing the multispecies forest, add further to the research programme and establish a replicable model to trigger an awakening in the global community.