TUNEWET · Towards observation-constrained UNderstanding and prEdicting of tropical Wetland mEThane emissions

Tropical wetlands dominate wetland methane emissions globally and play a vital role in recent surges of atmospheric methane. Despite the importance of tropical wetland methane emissions in global methane budgets and future climate change, current knowledge about their magnitude, distribution and variations remains highly uncertain, which impedes effective climate strategies and actions. Through a synergy of biogeochemical (“bottom-up”) and atmospheric (“top-down”) methodologies, I propose the project TUNEWET (Towards observation-constrained UNderstanding and prEdicting of tropical Wetland mEThane emissions) to constrain tropical wetland methane emissions and their responses to climate change by integrating multiple data streams and modelling tools. I will carry out this research with Prof. Guy Schurgers at the newly founded Global Wetland Center (GWC), University of Copenhagen (UCPH). This project will gain new insights into the key processes regulating tropical wetland methane emissions and help resolve the largest uncertainty source in the global methane budget, thereby supporting science-based climate mitigation strategies.