A new scientific study suggests that methane emissions over India may be lower than figures reported in some widely used global inventories, underscoring the need to strengthen the country’s monitoring systems for this potent greenhouse gas.
Methane, while shorter-lived in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide, has a far greater warming potential, making it a key target for near-term climate mitigation efforts.
In India, where emissions stem largely from agriculture, waste management, and the energy sector, researchers say more accurate tracking is essential for designing effective reduction strategies and reducing both environmental and economic impacts.
The study, led by Dhanyalekshmi Pillai of the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Bhopal, along with colleagues Thara Anna Mathew, Jithin S. Kumar and other national and international scientists, analysed India’s methane emissions for the period 2018–2019. The findings were recently published in the journal Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics by the European Geosciences Union.
According to Pillai, the results show that methane emissions over India are lower than those estimated by several global, activity-based emission inventories. However, they are still higher than figures reported in India’s Fourth Biennial Update Report, which estimates emissions at 19.6 teragrams per year.
Using an improved modelling approach that integrates satellite observations, ground-based measurements, and atmospheric transport models, the researchers estimate India’s annual methane emissions to be between 21.9 and 24.9 teragrams.
“This highlights the need for much stronger measurement systems. Better observations can significantly change our understanding of national emission levels,” Pillai noted.
The study combined millions of measurements from the European Space Agency’s Sentinel-5P satellite, specifically its TROPOMI instrument, with advanced atmospheric modelling. TROPOMI detects methane by analysing how sunlight is absorbed by gas molecules in the atmosphere, enabling scientists to reconstruct methane concentrations from the Earth’s surface to the upper atmosphere.
Researchers say the high-resolution, near-daily global coverage provided by the satellite, when paired with physics-based models, offers a far more detailed picture of emissions across agricultural, urban, industrial, wetland, and coastal regions.
The team argues that such integrated monitoring can help identify emission hotspots, refine national inventories, and support more targeted climate policies. In a country as geographically and economically diverse as India, they say, improved monitoring could be critical for moving from broad estimates to precise, actionable mitigation strategies.
(With inputs from PTI)