A large municipal waste dump in Silivri, on the outskirts of Istanbul, has been identified as a major source of methane emissions. Satellite surveillance indicates that the Silivri landfill is Turkey's most significant super-emitting waste site.
Researchers at the University of California (UCLA) have found that the site's average emission rate of 7.4 tonnes of methane per hour makes it one of the worst identified globally. The climate impact of this single leak is estimated to be equivalent to 1.5 million SUVs.
The revelation comes ahead of Turkey hosting the Cop31 UN global climate summit in November. Turkey has stated that cutting methane emissions will be a top priority on its action agenda for the summit.
Residents in villages near the Silivri landfill have reported a strong, unpleasant smell for years, which they attribute to the dump. Staff from the Istanbul metropolitan municipality’s waste management division, İstaç, acknowledged the emissions, stating their priority is to cover exposed areas of the dump to trap methane for use as fuel.