PONDS: A CARBON

SEQUESTRATOR ?
DR. THRIVIKRAMJI.K.P.
EMERITUS FELLOW, DEPT OF GEOLOGY
KARIAVATTOM CAMPUS
thrivirkamji@gmail.com

Ponds-A Bioengineering solution for

Carbon sequestration
Ponds-A Bioengineering solution for
Carbon sequestration
CHARACHIRA POND,
TRIVANDRUM CITY

Ponds-A Bioengineering solution for

Carbon sequestration
COMMUNITY POND, VEERAVANALLUR, TN

Ponds-A Bioengineering solution for

Carbon sequestration
“STORAGE POND”, NANJINADU, NAGERKOVIL

Ponds-A Bioengineering solution for

Carbon sequestration
TEMPLE POND, MYLAPORE, CHENNAI

Ponds-A Bioengineering solution for

Carbon sequestration
TEMPLE POND, TIRUANNAMALAI

Ponds-A Bioengineering solution for

Carbon sequestration
POND TURNING MARSH

Ponds-A Bioengineering solution for

Carbon sequestration
SUBURBAN POND, TRIVANDRUM

Ponds-A Bioengineering solution for

Carbon sequestration
POND IN KUTTANAD, KERALA

Ponds-A Bioengineering solution for

Carbon sequestration
GW DIRECTORATE ON FILLED POND, TRIVANDRUM CITY

Ponds-A Bioengineering solution for

Carbon sequestration
ROWING POOL, OLD TIME POND, TRIVANDRUM CITY

Ponds-A Bioengineering solution for

Carbon sequestration
RECLAIMED POND, TRIVANDRUM CITY

Ponds-A Bioengineering solution for

Carbon sequestration
 PONDS:
MODERN EQUIVALENTS OF COAL
FORMING SWAMPS OF GEOLOGIC
PAST
GENERIC TYPES:
NATURAL & CONSTRUCTED
SECOND ONLY TO SPRINGS IN
ABUNDANCE.
Ponds-A Bioengineering solution for
Carbon sequestration
 CONTROLLING FACTORS:
NATURE OF LANDSCAPE,
LITHOLOGICAL COVER,
PREVAILING CLIMATE.
CLOSED ENVIRONEMNT ENABLES
DEVELOPING OF SELF CONTAINED
ECOSYSTEMS.
.
Ponds-A Bioengineering solution for
Carbon sequestration
 DISTRIBUTION:
304 MILLION PONDS & NATURAL
LAKES IN THE WORLD.
AREA = 4.2 million KM2
TWICE THE EARLIER ESTIMATE
NEARLY 90% ARE UNDER 1 HA OR
LESS IN SIZE.
Ponds-A Bioengineering solution for
Carbon sequestration
 “A WATERBODY WHERE LIGHT
REACHES THE BOTTOM;
SHALLOW ENOUGH TO ALLOW
GROWTH OF ROOTED WATER
PLANTS;
LACKS WAVE ACTION ALONG THE
SHORELINE.” (LIMNOLOGIST’S
VERSION)
Ponds-A Bioengineering solution for
Carbon sequestration
 PONDS:
AREAL COVERAGE= ~30% OF
STANDING WATER ON EARHTS
SURFACE;
EXCEPTIONAL SOURCES OF WATER;
RENDER EXCEPTIONALLY HIGH
ECOSYSTEM FUNCTIONS & SERVICES.
Ponds­A Bioengineering solution for
Carbon sequestration
PONDS OF THE WORLD COULD
ABSORB AS MUCH CARBON AS
THE WORLD’S OCEANS.
(John Downing, limnologist,
Iowa State U)

Ponds­A Bioengineering solution for

Carbon sequestration
 CONSTRUCTED PONDS &
FARMLANDLAKES OF THE US BURY
CARBON AT A FAR HIGHER RATE
THAN IMAGINED.
AS MUCH AS 20­50 X THE RATE OF
TREES TRAPING CARBON.
OR ANNUALLY AS MUCH CARBON
AS THE WORLD’S OCEANS
Ponds­A Bioengineering solution for
Carbon sequestration
 DOWNING TEAM ESTIMATES 304
MILLION NATURAL LAKES AND PONDS
IN THE WORLD (AREA= 4.2 MILLION
km2) OR TWICE THE AREA
PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT.
90% UNDER ONE ha OR LESS IN AREA.

Ponds­A Bioengineering solution for

Carbon sequestration
IF CARBON UPTAKE IN EUROPEAN
PONDS EQUALS THE US PONDS, IT
IS EUREKA –
THE NEWEST NATURAL WAY OF
TRAPPING CARBON.

Ponds­A Bioengineering solution for

Carbon sequestration
 CLIMATE, TOPOGRAPHY &
GEOLOGICAL MAKEUP CONTROL
LOCII OF PONDS.
IN KERALA, PONDS OCCUR IN ALL
THREE ELEVEATION ZONES;
HIGHLAND (>75.0). MIDLAND (7.5­
75.0M) & COASTAL LAND (<7.5).
Ponds­A Bioengineering solution for
Carbon sequestration
District Number of Ponds Total
Panchayat Private Public Quarry Irrigation Temple
Trivandrum 1633 121 00 06 34 69 1863
Kollam 581 825 503 82 17 188 2196
Pathanamthitta 390 456 654 138 0 59 1697
Alappuzha 340 11400 00 04 03 303 12050
Kottayam 226 1641 491 84 75 208 2725
Idukki 66 558 77 19 47 23 790
Ernakulam 732 3450 296 164 72 204 4918
Thrissur 984 5861 182 43 213 258 7541
Palakkad 633 3070 242 134 61 314 4143
Malappuram 555 3632 245 145 45 272 4894
Wayanad 29 1489 01 16 61 03 1599
Kozhikod 94 855 110 33 24 284 1397
Kannur 292 626 470 25 35 301 1749
Kasaragod 265 1858 86 11 145 148 2291
Total 6820 35892 3357
Ponds­A 904 solution838for
Bioengineering 2634
Carbon sequestration
 PONDS: A HUGE FRESHWATER
RESOURCE OF PLANET
EQUALS 30% OF GLOBAL SURFACE
AREA OF STANDING WATER.
ROLE IN ECOSYSTEM SERVICES &
FUNCTIONS DUE TO HIGH
BIODIVERSITY
Ponds­A Bioengineering solution for
Carbon sequestration
 PONDS:
THREATENED BY HUMAN
INTERFERENCE; NEARLY NO
LEGISLATIVE PROTECTION.
EUROPEAN POND CONSERVATION
NETWORK,EPCN, OF 2004
(GENEVA, 2004). CREATING
AWARENESS, UNDERSTANDING &
CONSERVATION.
Ponds­A Bioengineering solution for
Carbon sequestration
 EPCN­ POND BIODIVERSITY,
HUMAN ACTION, LANDSCAPE
ECOLOGY, ECOLOGICAL
ASSESSMENT & MONITORING,
MANAGEMENT, ECOLOGICAL
RESTORATION, HYDROLOGY &
CLIMATE CHANGE, INVASIVE
SPECIES & THREATENED SPECIES.
Ponds­A Bioengineering solution for
Carbon sequestration
 THE RAMSAR CONVENTION SETS
UPPER LIMIT = 8.0 ha (19.768 acres).
“POND CONSERVATION”
FOR THE BRITISH CHARITY LIMITS
=1.0 m2 & 20,000 m2 (~ 2.0 ha or 5.0
acres) & HOLDS WATER FOR FOUR OR
MORE MONTHS/YR.
EUROPEAN UPPER LIMIT = 5.0 ha
AMERICAN, FLEXIBLE, UPPER LIMIT= 61.0
ACRES
(The Walden pond, Concord, Ma)
Ponds-A Bioengineering solution for
Carbon sequestration
Ponds-A Bioengineering solution for
Carbon sequestration
 ALGAE
GROW NEARLY EVERY WHERE.
VITAL PART OF AQUATIC
ECOSYSTEM.
PROVIDE FOOD & SHELTER TO
OTHER ORGANISMS.
ENABLE ABSORPTION OF
NUTRIENTS & HEAVY METALS.
Ponds-A Bioengineering solution for
Carbon sequestration
O2 & CO2 ARE ONLY GASES INVOLVED
IN LARGE AMOUNTS IN METABOLISM
OF GREEN PLANTS.
MICROALGAE UTILIZE CLIMATE
KILLING CO2, CREATING VALUABLE
BIOMASS, WHICH COULD BE USED TO
PRODUCE BIODIESEL, TO FUEL
BIOGAS POWER PLANTS &
NUTRITIOUS FOOD SUPPLEMENT IN
FISH FOOD.
Ponds-A Bioengineering solution for
Carbon sequestration
 ALGAE SCRUB 10X AS MUCH CO2 AS
TERRESTRIAL PLANTS. A MIT STUDY
(2008) SAYS DIVERSION OF CO2
THROUGH AN ALAGAL BROTH COULD
REDUCE EMISSION BY ABOUT 85%.
IN PHOTOSYNTHESIS INPUTS = CO2 &
H2O
VITAL FOR ALGAL GROWTH.
O2 & H2O (V) ARE BYPRODUCTS
Ponds-A Bioengineering solution for
Carbon sequestration
 1. SEQUESTERINGCARBON VIA
ALGAL BIOFUELS (ETHANOL).
2. INJECTION OF HOT FLUE GAS OF
GAS /COAL (POWER & CHEMICAL)
PLANTS INTO POOLS OF HEAT
TOLERANT BLUEGREEN ALGAE
FOR CARBON CAPTURE.
Ponds-A Bioengineering solution for
Carbon sequestration
 PROMISE OF ALGAE TO THE
FUTURE OF PLANET FULLY
UNFATHOMED.
MONITORING & MEASURING
EFFICIENCIES & NEGATIVE
IMPLICATIONS NEED TO BE
REARCHED & DOCUMENTED.
Ponds-A Bioengineering solution for
Carbon sequestration
SO MILLIONS OF PONDS & SMALL
LAKES OF INDIA WARRANT
SPECIAL CARE OF THE SOCIETY
AIMING FOR A SMALLER CARBON
FOOT PRINT.

Ponds-A Bioengineering solution for

Carbon sequestration
� EQUAL­ RIGHT­ TO­ WEALTH
� GREEN REVOLUTION
� PREVENTIVE HEALTH CARE
� DRINKING WATER SUPPLY
� MODERN SANITATION
� CAPTIVE PUBLIC LAND
� SHIFT IN LANDUSE
Ponds-A Bioengineering solution for
Carbon sequestration
NATURAL

� PROCESS OF AGEING
� HIGHLY PRODUCTIVE
CULTURAL
� EXCESSIVE NUTRIENTS
� UPSTREAM FARMS
� UNTREATED SEWAGE
� DETERGENTS
Ponds-A Bioengineering solution for
Carbon sequestration
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Ponds-A Bioengineering solution for
Carbon sequestration
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Ponds-A Bioengineering solution for
Carbon sequestration
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Ponds-A Bioengineering solution for
Carbon sequestration
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Ponds-A Bioengineering solution for
Carbon sequestration
THANK YOU
VERY MUCH
Ponds-A Bioengineering solution for
Carbon sequestration
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