Combining GIS Data and Ground-Based Allometric Equations for Enhanced Carbon Stock Assessment

Higher education institutions are crucial in addressing climate change by managing carbon emissions. While many universities focus on reducing their operational carbon footprint, more research must be done on how natural ecosystems and other campus land use types can act as carbon sinks. This study aims to fill that gap by investigating the carbon stock within Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) as a study area, using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) tools and Sentinel-2A satellite imagery to quantify Land Use and Land Cover (LULC), including both natural ecosystems and built-up areas. The research focuses on three objectives: to determine the types of LULC in UNIMAS, to quantify the carbon stock in ecosystems such as forests, wetlands, and grasslands, and to determine the CO2 sequestration potential of these ecosystems. Carbon stock was measured using non-destructive allometric equations, which were then applied to data processed in GIS tools. The results reveal that UNIMAS includes 193.28 hectares of built-up area, with forests covering 98.64 hectares and sequestering 89,975.14 Mg CO2-eq, making them the most significant contributors among natural ecosystems. Grasslands and shrubs cover 36.38 hectares, sequestering 1,467.33 Mg CO2-eq, and wetlands span 14.87 hectares, storing 4,601.74 Mg CO2 equivalent. These findings highlight the importance of integrating natural ecosystems and LULC management into university sustainability strategies.