title: Challenges and opportunities in the design and construction of a GIS-based emission inventory infrastructure for the Niger Delta region of Nigeria.
abstract: Environmental monitoring in middle- and low-income countries is hampered by many factors which include enactment and enforcement of legislations; deficiencies in environmental data reporting and documentation; inconsistent, incomplete and unverifiable data; a lack of access to data; and technical expertise. This paper describes the processes undertaken and the major challenges encountered in the construction of the first Niger Delta Emission Inventory (NDEI) for criteria air pollutants and CO2released from the anthropogenic activities in the region. This study focused on using publicly available government and research data. The NDEI has been designed to provide a Geographic Information System-based component of an air quality and carbon management framework. The NDEI infrastructure was designed and constructed at 1-, 10- and 20-km grid resolutions for point, line and area sources using industry standard processes and emission factors derived from activities similar to those in the Niger Delta. Due to inadequate, incomplete, potentially inaccurate and unavailable data, the infrastructure was populated with data based on a series of best possible assumptions for key emission sources. This produces outputs with variable levels of certainty, which also highlights the critical challenges in the estimation of emissions from a developing country. However, the infrastructure is functional and has the ability to produce spatially resolved emission estimates.
authors.affiliation: African Regional Centre for Space Science and Technology Education in English (ARCSSTE-E), National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), Obafemi Awolowo University Campus, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria. mfagbee@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Mofoluso A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Fagbeja
authors.affiliation: Department of Geography and Environmental Management, Faculty of Environment and Technology, University of the West of England, Coldharbour Lane, Frenchay Campus, Bristol, BS16 1QY, UK.
authors.forename: Jennifer L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.affiliation: Air Quality Management Resource Centre, Faculty of Environment and Technology, University of the West of England, Coldhabour Lane, Frenchay Campus, Bristol, BS16 1QY, UK.
authors.forename: Tim J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Chatterton
authors.affiliation: Air Quality Management Resource Centre, Faculty of Environment and Technology, University of the West of England, Coldhabour Lane, Frenchay Campus, Bristol, BS16 1QY, UK.
authors.forename: James W S
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Longhurst
authors.affiliation: The World Bank, 102 Yakubu Gowon Crescent, Opposite ECOWAS Secretariat, P.O. Box 2826, Garki, Abuja, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Joseph E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Akpokodje
authors.affiliation: African Regional Centre for Space Science and Technology Education in English (ARCSSTE-E), National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), Obafemi Awolowo University Campus, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Ganiy I
authors.initials: GI
authors.lastname: Agbaje
authors.affiliation: National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), Obasanjo Space Centre, Airport Road, PMB 437, Garki, Abuja, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Shaba A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Halilu
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000032:analysis; D004777:Environment; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D040362:Geographic Information Systems; D009549:Nigeria; D035501:Uncertainty
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D002245:Carbon Dioxide
keywords: Air quality; Emission inventory; GIS; Greenhouse gases; Infrastructure; Niger Delta; Nigeria