| Author | Sundui, Batsuren |
| Call Number | AIT Thesis no. EV-17-02 |
| Subject(s) | Footprints--Thailand--Case studies
|
| Note | A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the
degree of Master of Science in
Environmental Engineering and Management |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Abstract | Golf tourism has increased in popularity and the number of golf courses has grown rapidly
in recent years. Operation and maintenance of golf course entails different frequent activities
such as irrigation, mowing and application of chemical fertilizers. These study aimed to
evaluate the carbon footprint; GHG flux estimation of the small wetlands, canal waters and
soils at the course; and the carbon sequestration rate in soil and aboveground of AIT Golf
Course. For carbon footprint accounting, life-cycle assessment methodology was applied
and system boundary was chosen as turfgrass maintenance and course operation. The main
GHG emission contributors identified as the usage of diesel, electricity, golf carts and petrol.
In addition, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of greens, tees and fairways have been
estimated to determine the emissions from different parts and greens were highest emitting
due to its more frequent activities. Estimations of GHG emissions from wetlands, canal water
and soils had done using static gas chambers, four on fairways and roughs; another four on
the waters; and the gas concentrations were analyzed through gas chromatography. The
analyses of carbon sequestration rate in soil and grass were carried out in the laboratory to
estimate the carbon balance of the golf course. The carbon contribution of golf course in AIT
was 24.5 ton CO2e year-1
. Emissions from wetlands and canal water fluxes were ranged
between 22.2 g CO2 m-2
h
-1
to 452.5 g CO2 m-2
h
-1
and soil CO2 fluxes found out as between
23.23 g CO2 m-2
h
-1
and 31 g CO2 m-2
h
-1
, Methane flux was an average of 12.6 g CH4 m-2
h
-1
. Carbon sequestration rate of golf course was 17 ton CO2 yr-1 which is 69% of overall
contribution. Finally, the carbon balance found as “– 7.5 ton CO2 yr-1
”. The results from the
LCA study showed that some of the inputs in golf course have much higher carbon footprint
than others which can be reduced through environment-conscious actions. GHG emission
estimation result pointed out that pollution in the wetlands and canal water have a potential
of leakage from chemical fertilizer and pesticides. Finally, carbon sequestration rate results
showed soil has much higher sequestration than aboveground. |
| Year | 2017 |
| Type | Thesis |
| School | School of Environment, Resources, and Development |
| Department | Department of Energy and Climate Change (Former title: Department of Energy, Environment, and Climate Change (DEECC)) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Environmental Engineering and Management (EV) |
| Chairperson(s) | Annachhatre, Ajit P. ; |
| Examination Committee(s) | Visvanathan, C. ;Vilas Nitivattananon; |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | Asian Development Bank-Japan Scholarship Program (ADB-JSP); |
| Degree | Thesis (M. Sc.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2017 |