Estimation of Methane Emissions from Cattle in Azuero, Panama: A Tier 1 IPCC Approach

Abstract

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, particularly methane (CH₄), pose a critical challenge in climate change mitigation. Since the mid-18th century, CH₄ concentrations have increased significantly, surpassing other gases such as CO₂ and N₂O, which have also risen considerably. This study mathematically estimates CH₄ emissions resulting from enteric fermentation in cattle in the provinces of Herrera and Los Santos, Panama. The estimation employs the Tier 1 method of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and data from the 2021 national livestock census. The results indicate that these provinces contributed approximately 17,455,900 kg of CH₄ in 2021, representing 20.36% of the country’s total emissions. These findings highlight the need to implement mitigation strategies to reduce the environmental impact of the livestock sector. Methodologically, the study underscores the importance of considering regional factors when estimating emissions. However, the limited availability of detailed data prevented the application of the IPCC’s Tier 2 method, which would allow for greater accuracy by incorporating variables such as sex, age, diet, and feed digestibility. Since the results of this study provide only a general overview of CH₄ emissions in the Azuero region, improving the collection of individual cattle data is recommended. This would enable more precise estimations using the IPCC’s Tier 2 method and facilitate the identification of region-specific mitigation strategies.