Resource information
A decade ago, the contribution of
greenhouse gases (GHGs) from reservoirs was estimated to be
up to 7 percent of global GHG emissions from all sources.
Much research on GHG emissions from reservoirs has
subsequently been conducted and recent studies have
indicated corresponding global estimate to be less than 1
percent. However, these studies still have a limited
coverage of ecosystems and geographic areas, and, more
critically, almost none of them have measured the long-term
change in GHG emissions over many years. Therefore, the
research conducted to date has shown disparity in GHG
emission magnitudes from reservoirs, which has caused a
debate on methodologies and reliability of results. The
purpose of this note is to provide interim guidance to World
Bank staff on how to assess GHGs from reservoirs in
preparation for dam infrastructure projects. The note
describes the major biochemical processes that cause GHGs
from reservoirs, provides the status of current knowledge
and research, and puts the issue into a global perspective.
Based on the state-of-the-art, it makes recommendation on
how to assess GHG emissions and how to make preliminary
rough estimates of emissions caused by biochemical processes
for planned reservoirs.
