TY - JOUR
T1 - Opportunities for an African greenhouse gas observation system
AU - Merbold, Lutz
AU - Scholes, Robert J.
AU - Acosta, Manuel
AU - Beck, Johannes
AU - Bombelli, Antonio
AU - Fiedler, Bjoern
AU - Grieco, Elisa
AU - Helmschrot, Joerg
AU - Hugo, Wim
AU - Kasurinen, Ville
AU - Kim, Dong Gill
AU - Körtzinger, Arne
AU - Leitner, Sonja
AU - López-Ballesteros, Ana
AU - Ndisi, Mylene
AU - Nickless, Aecia
AU - Salmon, Emmanuel
AU - Saunders, Matthew
AU - Skjelvan, Ingunn
AU - Vermeulen, Alexander T.
AU - Kutsch, Werner L.
PY - 2021
Y1 - 2021
N2 - 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.
AB - 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.
KW - Carbon dioxide
KW - Climate
KW - Environmental research infrastructure
KW - Methane
KW - Nitrous oxide
U2 - 10.1007/s10113-021-01823-w
DO - 10.1007/s10113-021-01823-w
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85117295920
SN - 1436-3798
VL - 21
JO - Regional Environmental Change
JF - Regional Environmental Change
IS - 4
M1 - 104
ER -