Quantification of methane emission from municipal solid waste disposal in Delhi

Abstract

In this article, system dynamics modeling approach has been used to quantify the methane emission from municipal solid waste (MSW) disposal in Delhi. The contribution of MSW management measures to mitigate methane emission proposed in MSW management scheme has been investigated using various possible scenarios analysis. If the current waste management policies are followed, the methane emission is projected to reach 254 Gg/year by the year 2025. The results indicate that the proposed waste management policy for Delhi would significantly reduce the methane emission to the level of 2001 by the year 2025 despite an almost two-fold increase in waste generation. Energy recovery form various treatment and disposal methods can also contribute indirectly to the reduction of greenhouse effect by replacing fossil fuels in electricity production.