Greenhouse gas emissions from hydroelectric reservoirs: mechanistic understanding of influencing factors and future prospect

Abstract

Rising need for various renewable and non-renewable energy resources became vital for developing countries to meet their rapid economic growth under an exponentially growing population scenario. The primary goal of COP-26 for climate change mitigation is to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from different sectors. Because of their significant contribution to global warming, GHG emissions from hydroelectric reservoirs have been a contentious topic of discussion since the pre-industrial age. However, the exact methodology for quantification of GHG and important parameters affecting emission rate is difficult due to limited equipment facilities, techniques for GHG measurement, uncertainties in GHG emissions rate, insufficient GHG database, and significant spatio-temporal variability of emission in the global reservoirs. This paper discusses the current scenario of GHG emissions from renewable energy, with a focus on hydroelectric reservoirs, methodological know-how, the interrelationship between parameters impacting GHG emissions, and mitigation techniques. Aside from that, significant methods and approaches for predicting GHG emissions from hydroelectric reservoirs, accounting for GHG emissions, life cycle assessment, uncertainty sources, and knowledge gaps, have been thoroughly discussed.

Keywords: Carbon; Carbon dynamics; Emission; Greenhouse gases; Hydroelectric.