Carbon Emission Estimation in Sahyadri (Western Ghats) Resulting from Burning Grassland Biomass

Biomass burning contributes to large quantities of gaseous pollutants and aerosol particles in the atmosphere, having a significant impact on air quality, human health, and climate. This study examines the complex topic of estimating carbon emissions from grassland biomass burning in the Sahyadri region (Western Ghats). We calculate total burnt area over the period of ~5 months (from January to May 2022) using normalized burned index and innovative methods of subsequent subtraction technique. The burnt area is used to calculate the total carbon dioxide emitted because of burning using IPCC emission factors. Our conservative and liberal estimates indicate 9.9 and 25.83 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions by biomass burning.