Is Bangladesh responsible for greenhouse gas emissions?
Among other sources, a large portion of this methane is coming from the recently upgraded Matuail Sanitary Landfill (May 5, 2021, The Daily Star). The Bloomberg report analyzed data from the European Space Agency's (ESA) Sentinel-FiveP and Sentinel-to-Satellite, which found that paddy fields, sewage disposal, cracks/holes in natural gas supply pipelines, and coal burning are the main causes of methane emissions in Bangladesh. According to the image from the Hugo satellite of the Montreal-based GHGSAT (April 18, 2021), the methane emission from the Landfill site amounts to about 4,000 kg/hour which equals to air pollution caused by 0.19 million vehicles/hour.I would certainly put forwardthat this methane emission sources may bemultiple.Bangladesh is a very small country in area, so due to various climatic reasons, this methane can be condensed in the Bangladesh's sky from other countries. There is a scientific basis for this view, and studies have shown that methane synthesis does not begin unless the redox potential is less than negative 200mV or below. In eye estimation, it does not look like this condition prevails in the Matuail Landfill. However, there is a need for more research on this. There is no way to solve this crisis without determining the exact level of emissions and identifying the source. It would not be right way either to blame Bangladesh for the emission like this way. Even if someone does it, it can be called malicious. Now let's discuss on paddy source of methane. Crops are grown in Bangladesh following about 313 crop rotations. Besides rice-based crop rotations, crops are grown in rotation under wetland (rice) and upland soil conditions (vegetables/non-rice), respectively. Non-rice crops in the rice cropping systems also have huge influence on reducing GHG emissions from rice fields. The paddy fields experience mid-season wetting and drying, resulting in the CH4 emission reduction. Research conducted by Rice Research Institute (BRRI) on CH4 emission following alternate wetting and drying method (AWD) of irrigationand proved very low CH4 emission rate due to prevailing of higher redox potential. Other research institutes(BARI, BAU, BINA) have conducted research on GHG (particularly CH4) emission from paddy fields. A study estimated GHGs (using life cycle assessment (LCA) approach) from mustard-rice-rice cropping system in the Rajshahi region where intensive cropping systems are followed for many years.Methane emission from paddy fields was recorded to be accounted for the major portion of the total GHG emission (60-67%), followed by farm machinery use (13-16%), CO2 emissions from soil (9-10%), production of inputs (6-9%) and transport of inputs (2-3%). According to similar studies conducted in China, total GHGs were 5.9 t CO2eq/ton rice versus 1.76 t CO2eq/ton maize and 2.75 t CO2eq/ton wheat productions. The footprint study conducted in Bangladesh for production of upland crop or wetland rice (1.0 to 1.25 t CO2eq/ton rice) either by irrigation or by monsoon rain are lower than footprints found in China/other countries.However, this data are inadequate to draw final conclusion. A new research report conducted by the US-based Radium Group has claimed that China emits more GHGs than the world's developed countries do (26% of the world's emissions) while the United States is the world's second-largest emitter of GHGs (11%). With 7.8% of GHGs emissions, India stands at the third position in the list. Unfortunately, we do not have enough data to assess the role of CH4produced from landfills, rice fields and/or from other sources in Bangladesh in global warming. To know the real role of these sources on CH4 emission, it is very important to know the actual data of CH4 and other GHG emission. Bangladesh has been a signatory of the Copenhagen Accord since 2010. Though the country has no legal binding actions for mitigating GHG emission, with the increasing growth and development in economy and industrial progress, the country has to take mitigation actions for showing their responsibility to the world for the financial, technical and capacity building supports. Action to mitigate GHGs in agriculture has to also consider its major role in the economy. Around 50% of all workers in the country and nearly 75% in rural Bangladesh are employed in agriculture, while almost 87% of rural households depend on agriculture for at least a part of their income (WB, 2016). Besides rice, other upland crops requiring high input levels in the form of fertilizers, pesticides etc. are also accountable for GHG emissions. From generation and delivery of inputs to the delivery of produce to the consumer's door, significant emissions are involved. The LCA of the crops and cropping systems could help policy makers identify hotspots and stages of crop production and the most promising options for mitigation of GHGs and Global Warming Potential. According to the World Food Program, rice production has to increase by another 40% by 2030 for ensuring food security. Rice production accounts for three major GHGsemission from soil. On the other hand, global warming is having a huge adverse effect on the rice production.The landfills which are the source of GHG emissions can be turned into resources (sink). As for example, recycling of wastages, biogas plant construction and bioslurry fertilizer production are few of many options. However, we need to create a national database with the data of all the possible sectorsto find out the GHG actually emitted from various sources. This data can also be used to verify the data reported by international bodies (e.g., Bloomberg or IPCC).There are scopes of conducting studies on refining the estimates of the total and actual GHG emissions of landfills, rice cropping and leakage in natural gas supply pipelines. The following GHG's Mitigation options can be suggested practices in Bangladesh:    * Introducing farm practices that reduce agricultural non-carbon dioxide emissions, including methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O). * Irrigation rescheduling in addition to increasing AWD practices, drip irrigated rice, alternate furrow irrigation etc. * Direct seeded rice under dry condition or under wet condition, non-puddling, mechanized transplanting etc. * Agricultural diversification through intensive cropping and residue return. * Efficient N fertilizer delivery for increasing use efficiency [Compound fertilizer, urea-ammonium sulfate, urea-S, agrotain-coated urea, &bio-based polyurethane-coated urea]. * Introducing practices of CO2removal from the atmosphere while accumulatingin vegetation and soils. The writer is Principal Scientific Officer, Soil Unit, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council, Dhaka        According to Bloomberg report, a huge plume of 'mysterious' methane (CH4) gas is being released into the atmosphere of Bangladesh from different sources. The report claims that Bangladesh has become the 12th largest source of the gas in the world, thanks to the methane emission.Among other sources, a large portion of this methane is coming from the recently upgraded Matuail Sanitary Landfill (May 5, 2021, The Daily Star). The Bloomberg report analyzed data from the European Space Agency's (ESA) Sentinel-FiveP and Sentinel-to-Satellite, which found that paddy fields, sewage disposal, cracks/holes in natural gas supply pipelines, and coal burning are the main causes of methane emissions in Bangladesh.According to the image from the Hugo satellite of the Montreal-based GHGSAT (April 18, 2021), the methane emission from the Landfill site amounts to about 4,000 kg/hour which equals to air pollution caused by 0.19 million vehicles/hour.I would certainly put forwardthat this methane emission sources may bemultiple.Bangladesh is a very small country in area, so due to various climatic reasons, this methane can be condensed in the Bangladesh's sky from other countries. There is a scientific basis for this view, and studies have shown that methane synthesis does not begin unless the redox potential is less than negative 200mV or below. In eye estimation, it does not look like this condition prevails in the Matuail Landfill.However, there is a need for more research on this. There is no way to solve this crisis without determining the exact level of emissions and identifying the source. It would not be right way either to blame Bangladesh for the emission like this way. Even if someone does it, it can be called malicious. Now let's discuss on paddy source of methane. Crops are grown in Bangladesh following about 313 crop rotations. Besides rice-based crop rotations, crops are grown in rotation under wetland (rice) and upland soil conditions (vegetables/non-rice), respectively. Non-rice crops in the rice cropping systems also have huge influence on reducing GHG emissions from rice fields. The paddy fields experience mid-season wetting and drying, resulting in the CH4 emission reduction.Research conducted by Rice Research Institute (BRRI) on CH4 emission following alternate wetting and drying method (AWD) of irrigationand proved very low CH4 emission rate due to prevailing of higher redox potential. Other research institutes(BARI, BAU, BINA) have conducted research on GHG (particularly CH4) emission from paddy fields. A study estimated GHGs (using life cycle assessment (LCA) approach) from mustard-rice-rice cropping system in the Rajshahi region where intensive cropping systems are followed for many years.Methane emission from paddy fields was recorded to be accounted for the major portion of the total GHG emission (60-67%), followed by farm machinery use (13-16%), CO2 emissions from soil (9-10%), production of inputs (6-9%) and transport of inputs (2-3%).According to similar studies conducted in China, total GHGs were 5.9 t CO2eq/ton rice versus 1.76 t CO2eq/ton maize and 2.75 t CO2eq/ton wheat productions. The footprint study conducted in Bangladesh for production of upland crop or wetland rice (1.0 to 1.25 t CO2eq/ton rice) either by irrigation or by monsoon rain are lower than footprints found in China/other countries.However, this data are inadequate to draw final conclusion. A new research report conducted by the US-based Radium Group has claimed that China emits more GHGs than the world's developed countries do (26% of the world's emissions) while the United States is the world's second-largest emitter of GHGs (11%). With 7.8% of GHGs emissions, India stands at the third position in the list.Unfortunately, we do not have enough data to assess the role of CH4produced from landfills, rice fields and/or from other sources in Bangladesh in global warming. To know the real role of these sources on CH4 emission, it is very important to know the actual data of CH4 and other GHG emission.Bangladesh has been a signatory of the Copenhagen Accord since 2010. Though the country has no legal binding actions for mitigating GHG emission, with the increasing growth and development in economy and industrial progress, the country has to take mitigation actions for showing their responsibility to the world for the financial, technical and capacity building supports. Action to mitigate GHGs in agriculture has to also consider its major role in the economy.Around 50% of all workers in the country and nearly 75% in rural Bangladesh are employed in agriculture, while almost 87% of rural households depend on agriculture for at least a part of their income (WB, 2016). Besides rice, other upland crops requiring high input levels in the form of fertilizers, pesticides etc. are also accountable for GHG emissions. From generation and delivery of inputs to the delivery of produce to the consumer's door, significant emissions are involved. The LCA of the crops and cropping systems could help policy makers identify hotspots and stages of crop production and the most promising options for mitigation of GHGs and Global Warming Potential.According to the World Food Program, rice production has to increase by another 40% by 2030 for ensuring food security. Rice production accounts for three major GHGsemission from soil. On the other hand, global warming is having a huge adverse effect on the rice production.The landfills which are the source of GHG emissions can be turned into resources (sink). As for example, recycling of wastages, biogas plant construction and bioslurry fertilizer production are few of many options.However, we need to create a national database with the data of all the possible sectorsto find out the GHG actually emitted from various sources. This data can also be used to verify the data reported by international bodies (e.g., Bloomberg or IPCC).There are scopes of conducting studies on refining the estimates of the total and actual GHG emissions of landfills, rice cropping and leakage in natural gas supply pipelines.The following GHG's Mitigation options can be suggested practices in Bangladesh:* Introducing farm practices that reduce agricultural non-carbon dioxide emissions, including methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O). * Irrigation rescheduling in addition to increasing AWD practices, drip irrigated rice, alternate furrow irrigation etc. * Direct seeded rice under dry condition or under wet condition, non-puddling, mechanized transplanting etc. * Agricultural diversification through intensive cropping and residue return. * Efficient N fertilizer delivery for increasing use efficiency [Compound fertilizer, urea-ammonium sulfate, urea-S, agrotain-coated urea, &bio-based polyurethane-coated urea]. * Introducing practices of CO2removal from the atmosphere while accumulatingin vegetation and soils.The writer is Principal Scientific Officer, Soil Unit, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council, Dhaka