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Bioenergy and Land Use Issues in Asia N. H. Ravindranath Indian Institute of Science Bangalore Key Messages Multiple options for land use – in the context of mitigating climate change & development
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Bioenergy and Land Use Issues in Asia N. H. Ravindranath Indian Institute of Science Bangalore
Key Messages Multiple options for land use – in the context of mitigating climate change & development Biomass power, biofuels (liquid fuel), Afforestation for C-sink, timber production for substituting aluminum, steel, etc Currently Asia is not a dominant biofuel producer / consumer of biofuels (like Brazil, US, EU) However, dominant energy consumers have set targets for biofuels to substitute petroleum - thus Asia will be the key regions for biofules China (15% - 2020), India (10%- 2020), Japan (30% by 2030), Malaysia/Indonesia/Thailand (10% -2020) 4. Biofuel program in India, China, Thailand etc are driven by need for Energy Security Thus need to ensure minimal GHG emissions
Key messages Area under food production has stabilized in all the key Asian countries- unlikely to increase India, China, Thailand, Malaysia, etc Food grain needs will be met by increasing crop productivity and intensity Large extents of degraded non-crop and marginal crop lands are available for bioenergy/ biofuel crops / Carbon sink Biodiesel crops such as Jatropha, oil Palm and tree based crops are key biofuel crops are critical in Asian countries India, China, Malaysia, Indonesia
Key messages Land use for biofuel crops varies with countries Degraded and marginal lands for Jatropha; India, China Forest lands converted for oil Palm; Malaysia, Indonesia GHG implications vary with land conversions involved and countries India & China; degraded lands and with minimal energy input Indonesia & Malaysia - forest lands with high carbon stocks India & China have large biomass power programs for meeting decentralized power needs Largely using degraded lands for producing woody biomass with minimal energy input for production of feedstock Likely to provided large GHG benefits by substituting fossil fuel power & generate power for local applications India has a large number of CDM projects on biomass power
Malaysia • Palm oil plantations • <1 Mha in the 1970s • 4 million hectares in 2005. • Producing 15 Mt of crude palm oil • Target to expand to 5 Mha by 2010 • to produce 20 Mt
Jatropha; Southwest China is the official targeted area for Jatropha Estimated area; Current and projected in southwest China – barren lands Ethanol 2008 = 1.5 Mha 2012 = 2.4 Mha Case Study of Jatropha in China Source: World Agroforestry Centre, 2007
Indonesia; scale of biofuel program Biodiesel 2005-07 = 212,000 ha 2008 = 663,000 ha 2017 = 2.67 Mha Bio-ethanol 2008 = 50,000 ha 2017 = 54,000 ha
India – scale of biofuel program Biodiesel 2008 = 279,000 ha 2017 = 340,000 ha Bioethanol 2008 = 451,000 ha 2017 = 854,000 ha
Trends in Land use Pattern-India Source: http://www.faostat.fao.org/site/377/default.aspx.
Forest Survey of India., State of Forest Report Forest Survey of India., State of Forest Report Afforestation Rate in India Source: Forest Survey of India., State of Forest Report
Trends in Area under Forests http://envfor.nic.in/nfap/
Land available for biomass production for energy (Mha)40-65 Mha is available for energy
Conclusions • Biofuel will be very important in Asia from energy security perspective • Need for research and informed debate on implications of large-scale biofuel production / consumption / export • GHG emissions • Food security and energy security • Socio-economic aspects • Alternate land uses in the context of climate mitigation & development is required; • Biomass power • Carbon sink through afforestation • Biofules – liquid fuels • Solid fuels; charcoal and fuelwood • Need for good database for scientifically analysis