# Satellite Data Reveals Significant Methane Leaks at Turkish Landfill Sites New satellite observations highlight methane emission challenges in Turkey ahead of the COP31 climate summit. - **Source:** [Al-Monitor](https://www.al-monitor.com) - **Published:** 2026-11-07 - **Topic:** [climate](https://brifing.si/c/climate) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/1308e9ca-06c2-495f-a3f6-71c68f84df7f ## Satellite Detection of Emissions Researchers from UCLA identified 70 methane plumes across Turkey's ten highest-emitting waste sites using Tanager-1 satellite data. These observations, recorded between January 2025 and May 2026, revealed hourly emission rates ranging from 841 kilograms to 7.4 metric tons. The findings underscore a persistent gap between current gas capture systems and actual atmospheric releases. ## Seymen Landfill Performance Issues The Seymen landfill, processing 8,500 tons of daily waste, recorded average emissions of 7.4 tons per hour. While an energy plant captures gas for electricity, officials acknowledge a 25% leakage rate. Operators attribute specific high-reading days to maintenance activities, such as uncovered sections of the site and low atmospheric pressure conditions. ## Global Methane Emission Context Turkey currently ranks as the world's fifth-largest methane emitter from solid waste, trailing China, the United States, Russia, and Brazil. Between 2014 and 2024, Turkey's waste-related methane emissions surged by nearly 25%, significantly outpacing the global average increase of 6.5%. Annual emissions have stabilized at 21 million tons of CO2 equivalent since 2020. ## Government Response and Strategy The Environment Ministry disputes the satellite findings, arguing they lack the continuous measurement required for annual assessments. Officials emphasize the Zero Waste Initiative, which aims to reduce landfill reliance. Data indicates the national waste recovery rate reached 37.53% in 2025, a notable increase from the 13% recorded back in 2017. ## Mitigation Potential and Challenges Experts suggest that focusing on the largest landfills could yield disproportionate climate gains. Proposed solutions include diverting organic materials before they reach disposal sites and repairing faulty gas wells or cracked covers. Improving these specific collection systems remains a critical technical challenge for managing the country's overall methane output effectively. ## Climate Policy and COP31 As Turkey hosts COP31 in Antalya, methane reduction has emerged as a central priority. Despite this focus, Turkey is not currently a signatory to the Global Methane Pledge, which seeks a 30% reduction in emissions by 2030. The summit serves as a platform to address these persistent environmental monitoring discrepancies. ## Methane Potency and Impact Methane is the second most significant driver of climate change after carbon dioxide. It is over 80 times more potent than CO2 during its first 20 years in the atmosphere. Consequently, even sharp, localized cuts in landfill emissions could provide a relatively quick mechanism to slow the pace of global warming. ## Future Monitoring Requirements The discrepancy between satellite data and operator reports highlights the need for more robust, continuous monitoring systems. While economic incentives exist for energy production from captured gas, the persistent nature of these plumes suggests that current infrastructure is insufficient. Future efforts must reconcile these measurement methods to ensure accurate climate reporting. ## Sources covering this story - [Al-Monitor — Satellite Data Reveals High Methane Emissions at Turkish Landfills](https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/11/cop31-comes-turkey-satellites-reveal-landfill-methane-problem) - [The Straits Times – World — Satellite Data Reveals High Methane Emissions at Turkish Landfills Ahead of COP31](https://www.straitstimes.com/world/as-cop31-comes-to-turkey-satellites-reveal-a-landfill-methane-problem) --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._