5:15 PM - 7:15 PM
[ACG46-P02] Greenhouse Gas Budget Assessment in Papua New Guinea for 2000-2019
Keywords:greenhouse gas budget, Papua New Guinea, vegetation fluxes, weathering uptake
The 2nd phase of the Regional Carbon Cycle Assessment and Processes (RECCAP-2) has facilitated GHG budget assessment of the global regions. According to the RECCAP-2 studies, Southeast Asia as a whole is acting as a net source of greenhouse gas (GHG); however, country-scale budgets within Southeast Asia remain elusive. The GHG budgets of Southeast Asian countries can vary significantly depending on their individual economic development levels. In particular, Papua New Guinea (PNG) has a less developed economy than ASEAN countries and has around 80% of its total land area covered by forests, which may allow PNG to act as a large net sink for GHGs.
This study estimates the GHG budget (i.e., CO2 and CH4,) of PNG from 2000 to 2019 using the League of geophysical research eXcellences for tropical asia (LeXtra) national GHG budget dataset. According to our assessment, the total GHG budget of PNG is a net sink of 78.43 TCO2eq yr-1, with a net sink of the CO2 budget exceeding a net source of the CH4 budget. The vegetation flux most contributes to a net sink of CO2 with approximately 104.5 TgCO2 yr-1. Anthropogenic activities on ecosystems such as land-use changes in forest (FLUC) and peat drainage were the main components of CO2 sources. PNG's current GHG budget is dominated by CO2 uptake, with the largest contribution coming from net sinks from natural components such as vegetation fluxes and weathering uptake. This result of the GHG budget is not only due to the country's abundant natural environment and underdeveloped economy but also likely related to PNG's unique geography and culture. For PNG, understanding its GHG sinks will provide a clue for promoting economic growth in an era when sustainable development is required.
This study estimates the GHG budget (i.e., CO2 and CH4,) of PNG from 2000 to 2019 using the League of geophysical research eXcellences for tropical asia (LeXtra) national GHG budget dataset. According to our assessment, the total GHG budget of PNG is a net sink of 78.43 TCO2eq yr-1, with a net sink of the CO2 budget exceeding a net source of the CH4 budget. The vegetation flux most contributes to a net sink of CO2 with approximately 104.5 TgCO2 yr-1. Anthropogenic activities on ecosystems such as land-use changes in forest (FLUC) and peat drainage were the main components of CO2 sources. PNG's current GHG budget is dominated by CO2 uptake, with the largest contribution coming from net sinks from natural components such as vegetation fluxes and weathering uptake. This result of the GHG budget is not only due to the country's abundant natural environment and underdeveloped economy but also likely related to PNG's unique geography and culture. For PNG, understanding its GHG sinks will provide a clue for promoting economic growth in an era when sustainable development is required.