Greenhouse gas emissions from inland water bodies and their rejuvenation: a review

Inland water bodies are observed as major sources of the emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) including carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O). This study shows that these entities (e.g. wetlands, constructed wetlands, reservoirs, lakes, ponds, and rivers) have a major contribution in GHG flux. However, understanding of the carbon dynamics of these water bodies is not well described. It was noticed that the emissions of GHGs from inland water bodies is a result of heavy supply of organic matter into them. Approximately 2.2–3.7% of the Earth's non-glaciated land area and inland waters are having almost similar amounts of carbon emission as also observed in the case of both net terrestrial productivity and net oceanic uptake. Wetlands and lakes are among the most studied water bodies. However, efforts should be made to understand the emission dynamics from ponds and rivers as recent studies say these are also among the potent sources of GHG emissions in the atmosphere. This review paper aims to highlight and give an elaborate insight into the contribution of inland waters to the global carbon cycle along possible remediative measures.