Copyright © 2026 Authors retain the copyright of this article. This article is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

@article{191185,
        author = {Pleasa Serin Abraham and Sheetal Bharat and Rajesh B},
        title = {Role of MGNREGS of India in building Climate Resilience: Study on Environmental Impact of Plantations work in Karnataka village},
        journal = {International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology},
        year = {2026},
        volume = {12},
        number = {8},
        pages = {6809-6822},
        issn = {2349-6002},
        url = {https://ijirt.org/article?manuscript=191185},
        abstract = {This study presents a compelling case of how social welfare programs can be strategically designed to achieve environmental co-benefits, creating sustainable livelihoods while enhancing natural capital—a model with significant replication potential. It analyses the environmental impact of the plantation work done in the Honnakiranangi village, Karnataka as part of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme which is also considered as one of the world’s largest works-based social protection schemes. The impact is assessed using the ecosystem services approach as the project aimed at the enhancement of natural capital by creating a new ecosystem through afforesting the 21 km boundary of the site of the proposed power plant. “Ecosystem services” show wide variety of benefits the environment brings to human beings of which some have direct and indirect use values. This approach incorporates the valuation of regulatory, provisional, supporting, and cultural services of natural capital. The sustainability indicators show that the MGNREGS plantation work is very positive toward environmental goals. 
Biomass addition and carbon stock addition are very crucial from the perspective of sustainable development. The biodiversity enhancement and pollination services will have positive effects on the agricultural land near the site of plantation work. The study found that there has been the generation of 27,94,221 to 38,54,142 kg of biomass from eight species of trees which are aged between four and ten years and will have sequestered 5,126 to 7,072 tonnes of carbon dioxide through their lifetime.  This is equivalent to the emissions from about 1,011 to 1,395 typical passenger vehicles per year.
The timber value of some trees is estimated and the value of NTFP (Non-Timber Forestry Products) like honey, fruits are estimated using direct market prices. This ecosystem caters to 4,000 to 5,000 goats per day and this shows an addition to the fodder. The availability of fuelwood also has increased nearly 15,000 kg of dry wood is collected every day. The value of carbon sequestration has been estimated and the increase in the pollination services through the new ecosystem has been observed. One of the main services under ecological balance control is biodiversity enhancement through increasing the population of the existing species and the addition of species has been observed and recorded. Improvement and conservation of soil by the trench work which is a main part of the MGNREGS plantation work helped in the improvement of the groundwater levels.},
        keywords = {MGNREGS, Ecosystem Services, carbon sequestration},
        month = {January},
        }