Opportunities for an African greenhouse gas observation system
(2021) In Regional Environmental Change 21(4).- Abstract
Global population projections foresee the biggest increase to occur in Africa with most of the available uncultivated land to ensure food security remaining on the continent. Simultaneously, greenhouse gas emissions are expected to rise due to ongoing land use change, industrialisation, and transport amongst other reasons with Africa becoming a major emitter of greenhouse gases globally. However, distinct knowledge on greenhouse gas emissions sources and sinks as well as their variability remains largely unknown caused by its vast size and diversity and an according lack of observations across the continent. Thus, an environmental research infrastructure—as being setup in other regions—is more needed than ever. Here, we present the... (More)
Global population projections foresee the biggest increase to occur in Africa with most of the available uncultivated land to ensure food security remaining on the continent. Simultaneously, greenhouse gas emissions are expected to rise due to ongoing land use change, industrialisation, and transport amongst other reasons with Africa becoming a major emitter of greenhouse gases globally. However, distinct knowledge on greenhouse gas emissions sources and sinks as well as their variability remains largely unknown caused by its vast size and diversity and an according lack of observations across the continent. Thus, an environmental research infrastructure—as being setup in other regions—is more needed than ever. Here, we present the results of a design study that developed a blueprint for establishing such an environmental research infrastructure in Africa. The blueprint comprises an inventory of already existing observations, the spatial disaggregation of locations that will enable to reduce the uncertainty in climate forcing’s in Africa and globally as well as an overall estimated cost for such an endeavour of about 550 M€ over the next 30 years. We further highlight the importance of the development of an e-infrastructure, the necessity for capacity development and the inclusion of all stakeholders to ensure African ownership.
(Less)
- author
- Merbold, Lutz
; Scholes, Robert J.
; Acosta, Manuel
; Beck, Johannes
; Bombelli, Antonio
; Fiedler, Bjoern
; Grieco, Elisa
; Helmschrot, Joerg
; Hugo, Wim
; Kasurinen, Ville
; Kim, Dong Gill
; Körtzinger, Arne
; Leitner, Sonja
; López-Ballesteros, Ana
; Ndisi, Mylene
; Nickless, Aecia
; Salmon, Emmanuel
; Saunders, Matthew
; Skjelvan, Ingunn
; Vermeulen, Alexander T.
LU
and Kutsch, Werner L.
(Less) - organization
- publishing date
- 2021
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Carbon dioxide, Climate, Environmental research infrastructure, Methane, Nitrous oxide
- in
- Regional Environmental Change
- volume
- 21
- issue
- 4
- article number
- 104
- publisher
- Springer
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85117295920
- ISSN
- 1436-3798
- DOI
- 10.1007/s10113-021-01823-w
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 131ca1dc-f3de-481e-8912-f4fad23162cd
- date added to LUP
- 2021-12-16 15:50:19
- date last changed
- 2022-06-29 13:38:21
@article{131ca1dc-f3de-481e-8912-f4fad23162cd,
abstract = {{<p>Global population projections foresee the biggest increase to occur in Africa with most of the available uncultivated land to ensure food security remaining on the continent. Simultaneously, greenhouse gas emissions are expected to rise due to ongoing land use change, industrialisation, and transport amongst other reasons with Africa becoming a major emitter of greenhouse gases globally. However, distinct knowledge on greenhouse gas emissions sources and sinks as well as their variability remains largely unknown caused by its vast size and diversity and an according lack of observations across the continent. Thus, an environmental research infrastructure—as being setup in other regions—is more needed than ever. Here, we present the results of a design study that developed a blueprint for establishing such an environmental research infrastructure in Africa. The blueprint comprises an inventory of already existing observations, the spatial disaggregation of locations that will enable to reduce the uncertainty in climate forcing’s in Africa and globally as well as an overall estimated cost for such an endeavour of about 550 M€ over the next 30 years. We further highlight the importance of the development of an e-infrastructure, the necessity for capacity development and the inclusion of all stakeholders to ensure African ownership.</p>}},
author = {{Merbold, Lutz and Scholes, Robert J. and Acosta, Manuel and Beck, Johannes and Bombelli, Antonio and Fiedler, Bjoern and Grieco, Elisa and Helmschrot, Joerg and Hugo, Wim and Kasurinen, Ville and Kim, Dong Gill and Körtzinger, Arne and Leitner, Sonja and López-Ballesteros, Ana and Ndisi, Mylene and Nickless, Aecia and Salmon, Emmanuel and Saunders, Matthew and Skjelvan, Ingunn and Vermeulen, Alexander T. and Kutsch, Werner L.}},
issn = {{1436-3798}},
keywords = {{Carbon dioxide; Climate; Environmental research infrastructure; Methane; Nitrous oxide}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{4}},
publisher = {{Springer}},
series = {{Regional Environmental Change}},
title = {{Opportunities for an African greenhouse gas observation system}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10113-021-01823-w}},
doi = {{10.1007/s10113-021-01823-w}},
volume = {{21}},
year = {{2021}},
}