Evaluation of the carbon emission reduction effects of ecological river revetment construction

Abstract

Water conservancy projects are one of the main sources of carbon emissions. Nearly 60% of river revetments in developed countries are treated with ecological slope protection technologies to reduce carbon emissions. Ecological river revetment has been widely adopted as a measure for slope protection. Presently, the study on carbon emission reduction mainly focuses on agricultural production, petroleum exploitation, residential life, and transportation. No significant research has been made on the effects of river revetment protection projects on carbon emissions. This study evaluates the carbon emissions from structural and ecological revetments, and its impact on China’s climate. Results show that the ecological revetment can reduce carbon emissions significantly, by 93% as compared to the structural revetment. Moreover, the construction cost of an ecological slope is 37% cheaper than that of a structural slope. This research proves that ecological river slope protection technologies are vital for reducing China’s carbon emission.