India, May 27 -- A study published in Sustainable Futures in the last week reveals that Pune city has seen a 34 per cent decline in its carbon sequestration capacity over the past decade, between 2013 and 2024. The research attributes this significant loss to the city's rapid urbanisation, raising concerns about the long-term environmental impact of unchecked development.

The study, titled "Losing the Carbon Game? Changing Face of a Tropical Smart Metro City and its Repercussions on Carbon Sequestration, Heat and Flood Mitigation Capacity," was conducted by Prof Pankaj Koparde of MIT-World Peace University (MIT-WPU), in collaboration with Prof Pratiksha Chalke of Sustaina Greens LLP, private institute.

Between 2013 and 2022, Pune's buil...