GeoCARET and RE-Emission: A software duo for the estimation of reservoir emissions
Reservoirs play a vital role in supporting human needs by providing services such as irrigation, flood control, and hydropower. Hydropower, often seen as a climate-friendly energy source, is frequently included in Net Zero energy strategies. However, reservoirs are also recognised as significant sources of greenhouse gases (GHG), contributing an estimated 1-2% of global GHG emissions, with substantial variability between individual reservoirs.
Accurately assessing the carbon footprint of reservoirs is crucial, especially during the planning stages. We have developed an open-source software specifically designed to analyse reservoirs and catchments, enabling us to accurately assess their GHG emissions. The software is a cornerstone of this project, which we provide to a range of users including water companies, developers, consultancy firms, and policymakers.
The software can be used to estimate regional and national reservoir carbon budgets and combined with multicriterial optimization to devise strategies for mitigating emissions.
GeoCARET: Geospatial Catchment and Reservoir Analysis Tool
GeoCARET automates the complex and time-consuming process of delineating reservoirs and catchments, essential for GHG emission modelling. The tool requires only two inputs—dam location and water elevation—and performs all computations using Google Earth Engine, a cloud-based platform for planetary-scale environmental data analysis. This integration allows users to generate inputs for multiple reservoirs simultaneously, enhancing efficiency and enabling detailed spatially explicit modelling.
RE-Emission: Reservoir Emissions Tool
RE-Emission calculates the total life-cycle emissions and profiles for three key greenhouse gases—CO2, CH4, and N2O. It implements the G-Res model (developed by the International Hydropower Association and UNESCO Chair in Global Environmental Change) for CO2 and CH4 emissions and uses nitrogen and phosphorus mass balance calculations for N2O emission estimates.
Tool outputs
- Myanmar case study: . Planning with emission models to reduce carbon footprint of new reservoirs. Find out more about this study in the preprint.
- UK reservoir emissions: Estimating emissions from selected reservoirs in the UK. Read the outputs of this study.
Who's involved?
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Chris Barry
UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH)
Bangor, Wales
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Tomasz Janus
Tyndall Centre
The University of Manchester, UK
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Kamilla Kopec-Harding
Research Software Group
University of Birmingham, UK
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Aung Kyaw Kyaw
University of Yangon,
Yangon, Myanmar
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Jaise Kuriakose
Tyndall Centre
The University of Manchester, UK
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Shelley Win
International Water Management Institude (IWMI)
Yangon Office, Myanmar
Our partners
This project was supported by the UK Economic and Social Research Council's Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) as part of the FutureDAMS project (ES/P011373/1) and Research England’s QR Strategic Priorities Fund (QR SPF).