Pichavaram Mangrove Forest: Total Economic Value, Blue Carbon and Ecosystem-Service Accounting Category GS Date Data rule Environment, Geography and Economy GS Paper I, GS Paper III 4 September 2026 30+ numerical facts
WHY IN NEWS
- A recent study estimated the Total Economic Value of the Pichavaram mangrove ecosystem at n 2,485.38 crore ($289 million), or about n 1.83 crore per hectare.
- For UPSC, connect the current trigger with its static syllabus base, institutional mechanism, numerical anchors and implementation risks.
- The analytical test is to separate announcement or discovery from input, process, output and final outcome.
TOP DATA & FACTS FOR UPSC
- Located near Chidambaram in Tamil Nadu.
- Spread over about 1,100 hectares.
- Connected with the Bay of Bengal and separated by a long sand bank.
- Recent TEV estimate: n 2,485.38 crore.
- Dollar equivalent cited: about $289 million.
- Per-hectare economic value: about n 1.83 crore.
- Mangroves provide storm protection, nursery habitat, fisheries support and carbon storage.
- Mangroves are salt-tolerant intertidal ecosystems.
- Blue carbon refers to carbon stored in coastal and marine ecosystems.
- Economic valuation can include direct, indirect, option and non-use values.
- Mangrove roots trap sediment and reduce coastal erosion.
- Valuation does not mean the ecosystem can be freely substituted by money.
- Current-affairs date: 4 September 2026.
- Use at least 3 analytical scales: local or sectoral, national and comparative or global.
- Distinguish 4 policy stages: input, process, output and outcome.
- Test at least 5 governance dimensions: legality, capacity, finance, data quality and accountability.