Deemed Forest of Rajasthan: A potential heritage resource as a mitigation for climate change

Deemed forest, recently upgraded terminology for sacred groves, is just a new catchword. Rajasthan’s sacred groves are widely acknowledged as important carbon sinks that contribute to mitigating climate change, particularly for the state’s arid and semi-arid ecology. However, precise, current carbon sequestration values (in tonnes per hectare or similar) for Rajasthan’s sacred groves are not publicly available as of mid-2025. Official mapping and scientific assessment of these groves, now mandated by the Supreme Court, is expected to provide concrete data shortly.