Bangladesh methane gas plumes cause alarm, as country found to be major emitter

Satellites have detected some of the highest methane emissions in the world in Bangladesh, one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change

While the source is unclear, the methane is likely to originate from a combination of rice paddy fields, landfills, leaky natural gas pipelines and coal stockpiles

Reading Time:3 minutes

Bangladeshi children sit on garbage piled up by the river Buriganga in Dhaka. Methane from landfill sites and other sources in Bangladesh is drawing the attention of scientists, as the country’s low elevation and high population density make it vulnerable to extreme weather events and rising oceans. Photo: AP

Published: 1:26pm, 8 Apr 2021Updated: 1:26pm, 8 Apr 2021

One of the countries most vulnerable to climate change has also been revealed as a major contributor of methane, a greenhouse gas that is about 80 times more potent in its first two decades in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide.

The 12 highest methane emission rates detected this year by Kayrros SAS have occurred over Bangladesh, according to the Paris-based company, one of several that specialise in analysing satellite observations to locate leaks. “It has the strongest sustained emissions we’ve seen to date where we can’t clearly identify the source,” said Stephane Germain, president of GHGSat Inc, which also picked up the plumes.

Bluefield Technologies, which analysed European Space Agency data to identify a large methane plume in Florida in May, also detected the concentrations over Bangladesh. “Our analysis shows that Bangladesh has some of the highest methane emissions in the world that can be detected by satellites,” said Yotam Ariel, the company’s founder.

Scientists are just beginning to pinpoint the biggest sources of methane. Observations from space can be seasonal due to cloud cover, precipitation and varying light intensity. Satellites can also have difficulty tracking offshore emissions and releases in higher latitudes such as the Arctic, where Russia has extensive oil and gas operations. Because of these limitations existing data is not yet globally comprehensive.

But the emissions over Bangladesh are drawing attention. Its low elevation and high population density make it particularly vulnerable to extreme weather events and rising oceans. The country chairs the Climate Vulnerable Forum, whose 48 members represent 1.2 billion people most threatened by climate change.

“We’re aware of the problems,” said Bangladesh’s Environment and Climate Change Minister Shahab Uddin. The bulk of the methane likely came from rice paddies, he said. When farmers flood their fields, bacteria in the waterlogged soil can produce large quantities of the gas.

Select Voice

Choose your listening speed

Get through articles 2x faster

1.25x

250 WPM

Slow

Average

Fast

00:0000:00

1.25x