Desert Planting Part 2: CO₂ Carbon Sinks

 

Part 1 can be found here

Desert Planting Part 2: CO₂ Carbon Sinks

CO₂ Sequestration (Carbon Sinks)

I use the Sahara as a reference point. For food and water production, it is not necessary to plant the entire desert. However, if a large part of the Sahara and other deserts/arid regions were reforested, we would create enough carbon sinks. In combination with clean energy sources like nuclear power, we could quickly achieve climate goals.

Question to AI:

How much of the Sahara would need to be planted to absorb the problematic portion of CO₂ emissions?

ChatGPT replied:

How much CO₂ needs to be absorbed?

The problematic portion of CO₂ in the atmosphere is the excess amount causing climate change. To40 billion tons of CO₂ per year (40 gigatons, GT).

To stabilize the climate, we need to reduce CO₂ by about 10–20 GT per year.

How much forest is required to absorb CO₂?

Through *photosynthesis, trees a

🌳 Tropical forest: 5–
🌾Savanna & grassland: 1–3 tons o

To absorb 10 GT of CO₂ per year using fo

$$10 \text{ GT} = 10,000,000,000 \text{ tons}$$ $$10,000,000,000 \div 10 = 1,000,000,000 \text{ hectares} = 10,000,000 \text{ km}^2$$

This equals the entire area of the Sahara (approximately 9.2 million km²)!

However, a more diverse ecosystem approach could be considered:

• Forests in parts of the Sahara and Sahel
• Grasslands and savannas in drier regions
• Wetlands near rivers and artificial lakes

With a more realistic strategy, it would be sufficient to reforest around 30–50% of the Sahara (3–5 million km²) while combining this with peatland and farmland restoration in other parts of the world.

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Realistic Challenges and Opportunities

✅ Solar energy for desalination – The Sahara has enormous potential for renewable energy to support water and reforestation projects.
✅ Natural regrowth cycles – Starting with vegetation in select areas could help ecosystems expand naturally.

❌ Requires massive amounts of water – Irrigation is crucial in the early stages. Using salt-tolerant plants initially could help.
❌ Political and economic challenges – The Sahara spans over 10 countries, requiring large-scale international coordination.

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Summary

To absorb the problematic portion of CO₂ emissions, approximately 3–5 million km² of forest would need to be planted in the Sahara—equivalent to one-third to half of the desert. A combination offorests, grasslands, and sustainable water management would make this more realistic, though it remains a massive global project requiring technological and political solutions.