Contributions of gas flaring to a global air pollution hotspot: Spatial and temporal variations, impacts and alleviation

Studies of environmental impacts of gas flaring in the Niger Delta are hindered by limited access to official flaring emissions records and a paucity of reliable ambient monitoring data. This study uses a combination of geospatial technologies and dispersion modelling techniques to evaluate air pollution impacts of gas flaring on human health and natural ecosystems in the region. Results indicate that gas flaring is a major contributor to air pollution across the region, with concentrations exceeding WHO limits in some locations over certain time periods. Due to the predominant south-westerly wind, concentrations are higher in some states with little flaring activity than in others with significant flaring activity. Twenty million people inhabit areas of high flare-associated air pollution, which include all of the main ecological zones of the region, indicating that flaring poses a substantial threat to human health and the environment. Model scenarios demonstrated that substantial reductions in pollution could be achieved by stopping flaring at a small number of the most active sites and by improving overall flaring efficiency.