Drones prove their worth in measuring livestock methane in Africa

In May 2024, the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and partners shared news of the first drone flights over rangeland animals in Africa to test whether this technology could help measure livestock methane.

Now, the results have been published, and they show that drones deliver accurate, reliable methane measurements.

Ruminant livestock such as cattle, sheep, goats, and camels produce methane as part of their digestion process.

When microbes in their stomachs break down feed, they also produce methane, which is a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming.

Understanding and measuring methane emissions accurately is essential for designing effective mitigation strategies.

Therefore, the researchers tested if a drone equipped with a methane sensor could detect and quantify the concentration of methane from grazing animals, offering a practical new tool for researchers.

For countries in Africa, it can deliver better livestock emissions data to strengthen national greenhouse gas inventories and help test new ways to reduce methane.

The drone was tested by scientists from the University of Oslo, the Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research, the University of Milan, and ILRI’s Mazingira Centre at the ILRI Kapiti Research Station in Machakos County, Kenya.

They used the drone to measure the methane of herds of cattle, sheep, goats and camels—also the first time camel emissions have been measured in Africa.

Key findings

Their finding confirm that by combining prior knowledge with new drone measurements, the researchers calculated methane emissions that were similar to those derived from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Tier 1 and Tier 2 methods used for national greenhouse gas inventories.

The drone could detect increases in methane emissions after animals grazed, showing it can capture changes in emissions throughout the day.

The drone successfully detected methane emissions from herds of around 100 cattle, 170 sheep, 140 goats, and 40 camels, demonstrating that the approach works under practical, real-world conditions.

Satellite data can identify areas with livestock activities that could induce higher atmospheric methane , guiding where and when drones should fly for more detailed measurements.

Photo: Cattle and giraffe at the ILRI Kapiti Research Station (credit: ILRI/Paul Karaimu)

Curated by Tezira Lore, Communication Officer, ILRI