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Greenhouse-gas emissions from tropical dams

Nature Climate Change volume 2, pages 382–384 (2012)Cite this article

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Emissions from tropical hydropower are often underestimated and can exceed those of fossil fuel for decades.

Tropical hydroelectric dams, such as those in Amazonia, emit significant amounts of greenhouse gases, especially methane1,2,3,4. These emissions have been underestimated or ignored in many global and national greenhouse-gas accounts. If any justification is given for omitting all or part of these emissions, it is usually that they are controversial, uncertain or with no consensus5. However, although uncertainty regarding the quantities emitted is substantial6, dam emissions need to be included in all accounting based on the best available data and calculation methods. Much of the wide variation in the emissions ascribed to tropical dams stems from omissions and errors in accounting, rather than from the physical measurements that are nevertheless also subject to methodological problems.

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Figure 1: Dead trees in Brazil's Samuel Reservoir.

© PHILIP FEARNSIDE

Figure 2: Methane-rich water is drawn from below the thermocline that divides the water column into a surface layer (epilimnion) and an anoxic bottom layer (hypolimnion).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Institute for Research in Amazonia, C.P. 478, 69.011-970 Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil

    Philip M. Fearnside

  2. Institut Català de Ciències del Clima, C/ Doctor Trueta 203, Catalonia, 08005, Barcelona, Spain

    Salvador Pueyo

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  1. Philip M. Fearnside
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  2. Salvador Pueyo
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Correspondence to Philip M. Fearnside.

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Fearnside, P., Pueyo, S. Greenhouse-gas emissions from tropical dams. Nature Clim Change 2, 382–384 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate1540

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