Photo by Glynis Pierson
New Publication: Towards improved accounting and mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions from ditches and canals
Ditches and canals are a key and recognisable feature of the Fens and the broader British landscape, yet they are often overlooked in global discussions around greenhouse gas emissions.
This paper arises from a recent conference at the University of Liverpool that involved a diverse group of contributing experts, including CLR’s Jérémy Fonvielle, Laurie Friday, Chris Evans, and Hamid Rahimi, to examine why these features should not be ignored. Created to manage water for farming, transport, and flood control, ditches and canals are now recognised as significant sources of methane, carbon dioxide, and nitrous oxide. In many cases, they emit more greenhouse gases per unit area than other inland waters and, in some landscapes, more than the surrounding land. Despite this, their emissions are still largely missing from national greenhouse gas inventories and global climate models.
The authors highlight where the science is currently falling short, including gaps in global data, limited measurements outside Europe, and challenges in mapping the true extent of ditch and canal networks worldwide.
The paper also reviews practical and emerging mitigation options, including nutrient management, vegetation strategies, dredging, and novel microbial approaches, and examines what is currently known about their effectiveness.
This paper shows why these overlooked features of our landscapes matter for climate policy, land management, and progress towards net-zero targets.
Understanding ditches and canals is central to the CLR’s work in the Fens, from managing greenhouse-gas emissions to supporting biodiversity and long-term landscape health.
Why ditches matter to the CLR
Ditches are more than just a landscape feature—they are a vital part of the Fens’ ecology and hydrology. At the CLR, we are studying ditches to understand their role and the potential benefits (and perhaps challenges) they bring for greenhouse-gas emissions, water management, biodiversity, and long-term sustainability, contributing to broader efforts to restore and sustain Fens landscape.
Learn more about our work on the Fens:
https://www.changingtheenvironment.org/our-work/centre-for-landscape-regeneration/supporting-the-future-of-the-fens/
Read the paper here:
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/ae31f9