INTERNATIONAL TRAINING ON THE NATIONAL GREENHOUSE GAS INVENTORY (NGHGI) FOR LAND USE
COURSE BACKGROUND
Understanding and reporting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and removals from how land is used is crucial for addressing climate change. Many countries face challenges in building robust and accurate National Greenhouse Gas Inventories (NGHGIs) for their land use sector. This difficulty hinders their ability to track progress, inform policy, and meet international climate reporting commitments.
ECAS Institute recognizes the vital importance of accurate GHG inventories for effective climate action. We aim to equip national agencies with the necessary knowledge to build sustainable NGHGIs, focusing on the complex biological and physical processes in land use that lead to GHG fluxes. This course directly supports countries in meeting the transparency requirements of global climate agreements.
This training is designed to provide practical, step-by-step guidance on estimating GHGs from the land use sector. It will cover international guidelines, inventory cycles, and methodological approaches, including detailed lessons on various carbon pools and land use categories. By strengthening this technical capacity, ECAS aims to empower national entities to accurately assess and report their land-based emissions and removals.
COURSE OBJECTIVES OF THE TRAINING
Upon completion of this training, participants will be able to:
- Understand the role and goals of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) guidelines for NGHGIs.
- Explain the inventory cycle and the main elements and principles for the preparation of GHG inventories.
- Estimate GHG from the land use sector through a step-by-step process, applying their knowledge through exercises.
- Identify the methodological improvements between subsequent IPCC guidelines.
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
This course provides the necessary knowledge to build a sustainable National Greenhouse Gas Inventory (NGHGI) and assess greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and removals from the land use sector. It focuses on the biological and physical processes that lead to GHG fluxes from land use-related activities. You will learn:
- The role and goals of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) guidelines for NGHGIs.
- The inventory cycle and the main elements and principles for the preparation of GHG inventories.
- Estimating GHG from the land use sector through a step by step process and applying your knowledge through exercises.
- The methodological improvements between subsequent IPCC guidelines.
DURATION AND PROGRAM
This is a structured training course, consisting of 11 lessons, ranging from approximately 40 to 100 minutes duration each. The program is designed to provide comprehensive knowledge and practical application for building a National Greenhouse Gas Inventory for the land use sector. The detailed program schedule, including specific session timings and practical exercises, will be communicated prior to the training commencement.
TARGET PARTICIPANTS
This course is designed for staff in relevant national agencies tasked with the preparation of the NGHGI for the Agricultural sector. It is useful in strengthening institutional and technical capacities in national entities in meeting the enhanced transparency requirements of the Paris Agreement. It is also useful to those wishing to improve their knowledge on the UNFCCC reporting processes.
TRAINING MODULES
The course consists of 11 detailed lessons, providing a comprehensive guide to building a National Greenhouse Gas Inventory for the land use sector:
| No | Module | Details | |
| 1. | Introduction | This module introduces the course, the importance of National Greenhouse Gas Inventories (NGHGIs) for climate action, and the context of UNFCCC reporting. | |
| 2. | Land Representation – Stratification | This module focuses on how land areas are classified and divided for inventory purposes, a crucial step in accurate GHG accounting. | |
| 3. | Land Representation – Methodological Approach | This module explores the overarching methodological frameworks and approaches used to represent land in the NGHGI. | |
| 4. | C Pools – Living Biomass and Dead Organic Matter | This module delves into specific carbon pools, focusing on estimating GHG fluxes from living biomass (e.g., trees, plants) and dead organic matter (e.g., litter, dead wood). | |
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5.
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C Pools – Soil Organic Matter in Mineral Soils | This module provides detailed guidance on assessing GHG emissions and removals related to organic matter stored in mineral soils. | |
| 6. | C Pools – Soil Organic Matter in Organic Soils | This module specifically addresses the estimation of GHG fluxes from organic soils, which have unique characteristics for carbon storage. | |
| 7. | C Pools – Harvested Wood Products | This module covers the methodologies for accounting for GHG emissions and removals associated with harvested wood products throughout their lifecycle. | |
| 8. | Land Use Category – Forest Land | This module provides in-depth guidance on inventorying GHG fluxes specifically from forest land, including afforestation, reforestation, and deforestation. | |
| 9. | Land Use Categories – Cropland and Grassland | This module focuses on estimating GHG emissions and removals from cropland and grassland areas, considering agricultural practices and land use changes. | |
| 10. | Land Use Category – Wetlands | This module addresses the complexities of assessing GHG fluxes from wetland ecosystems, including peatlands and flooded lands. | |
| 11. | Land Use Categories – Settlements and Other Land | This final module covers the methodologies for estimating GHG emissions and removals from settlements and other land use categories not covered in previous lessons. | |
TRAINING STYLE
The modules will be taught through PowerPoint presentations, and lectures and will include a case study/field visit, breakout sessions, case studies and other interactive discussion components.
The course will also include a few guest speakers, both in person and via Zoom and other online learning platforms for overseas speakers. This provides useful real-world insights alongside the more theoretical aspects of the course.
The conference faculty shall consist of experienced decision makers, as well as practitioners and representatives from established educational and research institutions active around climate change, engineering and international development. Throughout the course, theoretical presentation of concepts will be moderated and more group discussions and plenary engagements will be optimized. PowerPoint presentations will be made by facilitators and resource persons, to highlight key concepts before embarking on group work.
GENERAL NOTES
- Training manuals and additional reference materials are provided to the participants.
- Upon successful completion of this course, participants will be issued with a certificate.
- We can also do this as a tailor-made course to meet organization-wide needs. Contact us to find out more: info@ecasiafrica.org.
- Payment should be sent to our bank account before the start of training and proof of payment sent to: info@ecasiafrica.org.
ABOUT ECAS INSTITUTE
The ECAS Institute designs and delivers independent and targeted training, research, and consulting services. Our work focusses on climate change and resilience building, carbon markets, renewable energy, nature-based solution, biodiversity conservation, agriculture and food systems, We are located in Nairobi Kenya and work across the African region. We have implemented training and research assignments in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, South Sudan, Somalia, Malawi, Rwanda, Congo, and South Africa. Globally, we have supported our partners from the UK, Denmark, Italy, Sweden, Germany, and USA.