NOSDRA, SDN to mitigate methane emissions
The National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) and Stakeholder Democracy Network (SDN), an NGO, have taken steps to reduce methane emissions in Nigeria.
The Director-General of NOSDRA, Mr Chukwuemeka Woke, stated this when the Executive Director, SDN, Mr Adam Heal visited him on Wednesday in Abuja.
Woke thanked the organisation for supporting NOSDRA to develop a Satellite Methane Emission Tracker (SMET) prototype to mitigate carbon emissions in the country.
He said that to promote transparency and accountability in the oil and gas industries space, SDN had also supported the agency in developing the Oil spill monitor.
“You have also supported the Nigerian Gas Flare Tracker. This has helped the agency to bring significant contributions towards our own climate change journey.
“We are indeed grateful to your organisation,” he said.
Responding, Heal said that SDN had partnered with NOSDRA in building environmental tools like the Oil spill monitor, and the Gas flare tracker to tackle the impact of gas emissions on the environment.
According to him, the organisation is currently building a prototype satellite-based methane tracker in close partnership with NOSDRA.
“Well, we all know that methane is an incredibly important gas in terms of climate change. Its impact on the climate is several times worse than carbon dioxide.
“So if we can tackle methane, then we have a better chance of reaching our long-term climate goals, but one of the problems is that it’s hard to often detect the sources of methane,” he said.
Heal said that there were some emerging solutions using satellite-based technology to identify hotspots where methane is emerging.
He said this would enable environmental regulators like NOSDRA and other agencies to help respond to the emissions, fix the problem, and reduce the impact on the environment.
“We are currently building a prototype satellite-based methane tracker in close partnership with NOSDRA, which we hope will be a step in that direction.
“We’ve completed phase one, and we’re very much looking forward to mobilising resources and then delivering phase two.
“We are making sure we build a tool which is helpful for NOSDRA and for researchers, other partners in Nigeria to better understand the main sources of methane and help Nigeria deliver on its climate goals,” he said.
