Sustainable transitions in tropical reservoirs as sociotechnical systems using forest restoration for carbon footprint offsetting

ABSTRACT Tropical freshwater reservoirs are vital for water management but also contribute to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, making mitigation strategies crucial, especially in the Brazilian Northeast, where water scarcity and climate variability impact livelihoods and ecosystems. This semi-arid region depends on reservoirs due to irregular rainfall and high evaporation, with reforestation offering a promising means to offset emissions while supporting sustainable water management. We assessed the carbon footprint and offsetting potential of 24 small reservoirs in the region using the G-res tool under SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5 climate scenarios. Results show that GHG emissions vary with water depth, climate, and land use, with smaller reservoirs often showing higher emissions. Expanding vegetation in catchments and around reservoirs can help offset emissions and enable blue-green transitions for climate change mitigation. Future reforestation efforts must increase significantly, requiring a 286% rise in forested areas compared with the reference period under the SSP5-8.5 scenario to fully offset emissions. By analyzing emissions from reservoirs and applying reforestation to reduce their carbon footprint, this study shows that (1) climate change and unsustainable transitions raise GHG emissions in tropical reservoirs, (2) reforestation can offset emissions and support sustainable management, and (3) future reforestation areas must expand under climate scenarios.

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Publication Details

Journal
Blue-Green Systems
Published
2025-11-05
DOI
https://doi.org/10.2166/bgs.2025.008
Primary Topic
Hydrology and Watershed Management Studies
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

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article

Sustainable transitions in tropical reservoirs as sociotechnical systems using forest restoration for carbon footprint offsetting

Denise Taffarello, Suzana Maria Gico Lima Montenegro, Pedro Gustavo Câmara da Silva, Maarten S. Krol et al.
Blue-Green Systems
Hydrology and Watershed Management Studies
article

Sustainable transitions in tropical reservoirs as sociotechnical systems using forest restoration for carbon footprint offsetting

Denise Taffarello, Suzana Maria Gico Lima Montenegro, Pedro Gustavo Câmara da Silva, Maarten S. Krol, Gabriel M. Silva, Josiclêda Dominicano Galvíncio, Adriana Cuartas, Rodrigo Santos Costa, Eduardo Mário Mendiondo, Ênio Bueno Pereira, Danielle de Almeida Bressiani, Gabriela Chiquito Gesualdo, Marcos Roberto Benso, Rebecca Sankarankutty
article en

Abstract

ABSTRACT Tropical freshwater reservoirs are vital for water management but also contribute to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, making mitigation strategies crucial, especially in the Brazilian Northeast, where water scarcity and climate variability impact livelihoods and ecosystems. This semi-arid region depends on reservoirs due to irregular rainfall and high evaporation, with reforestation offering a promising means to offset emissions while supporting sustainable water management. We assessed the carbon footprint and offsetting potential of 24 small reservoirs in the region using the G-res tool under SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5 climate scenarios. Results show that GHG emissions vary with water depth, climate, and land use, with smaller reservoirs often showing higher emissions. Expanding vegetation in catchments and around reservoirs can help offset emissions and enable blue-green transitions for climate change mitigation. Future reforestation efforts must increase significantly, requiring a 286% rise in forested areas compared with the reference period under the SSP5-8.5 scenario to fully offset emissions. By analyzing emissions from reservoirs and applying reforestation to reduce their carbon footprint, this study shows that (1) climate change and unsustainable transitions raise GHG emissions in tropical reservoirs, (2) reforestation can offset emissions and support sustainable management, and (3) future reforestation areas must expand under climate scenarios.

Blue-Green SystemsVol. 7(2)
Pennsylvania State University (US), Universidade Federal de Pelotas (BR), Universidade de São Paulo (BR), Centro Nacional de Monitoramento e Alertas de Desastres Naturais (BR), Environmental and Water Resources Engineering (IL), Secretaria Municipal de Educação de São Paulo (BR), Faculdades Guarulhos (BR), Instituto de Filosofía (ES), Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais (BR), University of Twente (NL)
Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo, Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior, Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico, Universidade de São Paulo, Fundação de Amparo à Ciência e Tecnologia do Estado de Pernambuco
Openalex Percentile: Top 69%
Hydrology and Watershed Management Studies
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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