Inland water bodies are observed as major sources of the emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) including carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O). This study shows that these entities (e.g. wetlands, constructed wetlands, reservoirs, lakes, ponds, and rivers) have a major contribution in GHG flux. However, understanding of the carbon dynamics of these water bodies is not well described. It was noticed that the emissions of GHGs from inland water bodies is a result of heavy supply of organic matters into them. Approximately 2.2–3.7% of the Earth's non-glaciated land area and inland waters are having almost similar amounts of carbon emission as also observed in case of both net terrestrial productivity and net oceanic uptake. Wetlands and lakes are among the most studied water bodies. However, efforts should be made to understand the emission dynamics from ponds and rivers as recent studies say these are also among the potent sources of GHG emissions in the atmosphere. This review paper aims to highlight and give an elaborate insight into the contribution of inland waters to the global carbon cycle along possible remediative measures.

  • Significance of running water/small ponds in GHG emissions as annual carbon budget is explained.

  • Emissions of carbon dioxide are highest from hydroelectric reservoirs.

  • Importance of GHG measurement facilities and sophisticated sampling techniques are presented.

  • Geographical conditions and social mindset are the main factors to determine GHG emissions.

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Author notes

These authors contributed equally.

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