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Portrait of Alex Vermeulen

Alex Vermeulen

Manager

Portrait of Alex Vermeulen

Opportunities for an African greenhouse gas observation system

Author

  • Lutz Merbold
  • Robert J. Scholes
  • Manuel Acosta
  • Johannes Beck
  • Antonio Bombelli
  • Bjoern Fiedler
  • Elisa Grieco
  • Joerg Helmschrot
  • Wim Hugo
  • Ville Kasurinen
  • Dong Gill Kim
  • Arne Körtzinger
  • Sonja Leitner
  • Ana López-Ballesteros
  • Mylene Ndisi
  • Aecia Nickless
  • Emmanuel Salmon
  • Matthew Saunders
  • Ingunn Skjelvan
  • Alexander T. Vermeulen
  • Werner L. Kutsch
Show all

Summary, in English

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.

Department/s

  • Dept of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science

Publishing year

2021

Language

English

Publication/Series

Regional Environmental Change

Volume

21

Issue

4

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

Springer

Topic

  • Environmental Sciences

Keywords

  • Carbon dioxide
  • Climate
  • Environmental research infrastructure
  • Methane
  • Nitrous oxide

Status

Published

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 1436-3798