Estimation of emissions from crop residue burning using remote sensing data

Approximately one-fourth of the population in Turkey works in the agricultural sector. One common problem in agricultural waste removal is the adverse effects of crop residue burning (CRB) on public health and environment, after the harvest. In this research, a pilot study area of 225 km² (15 km × 15 km) in the Southeastern Anatolia Region of Turkey was selected where CRB is a common practice. Sentinel-2 satellite images of the pilot area were obtained and processed in order to monitor the spatial distribution and the total area of the agricultural parcels where crop residues were burned in the field. The analysis was extended to find out the crop-specific emissions from residue burning by identifying the crop type for each agricultural parcel. Total emissions of CO₂, CO, CH₄, NMHC, N₂O, NH₃, SO₂ and NO_X from the study area as a result of CRB were calculated based on the previously reported emission factors and their implication for air quality and the atmosphere was assessed.