A major milestone has been reached in the UNESCO/IHA Greenhouse Gas Status of Freshwater Reservoirs project, with the launch of the GHG Measurement Guidelines for Freshwater Reservoirs, a landmark publication and the current standard on measuring emissions from reservoirs.

The publication provides individuals responsible in this area with a comprehensive tool to assess the GHG status of freshwater reservoirs, including definitive guidance on measurement and qualification of emissions resulting from the formation of reservoirs.

The guidance covers:

• Concepts and processes involved in making such measurements
• The approach to conducting field measurements
• Guidance on calculating results

With the concept of global application being at the forefront of the development of the GHG Measurement Guidelines, we have ensured that the methodology contained within the publication is applicable to all climate types and reservoir conditions.

By providing the tools required to determine net GHG emissions in a selected set of reservoirs, our intention is to ensure that the results gained will be utilised to develop predictive tools, thereby avoiding the necessity of such intensive field measurements in the future. We anticipate that shared results from the use of these guidelines will contribute to this intention.