Methane from Algerian landfills: Magtaa Kheira and Hassi Bounif
- Carbon Mapper wrote that this one landfill can account for 88% of the methane from waste super-emitters in Algeria, equivalent to one-third of Algeria's reported national solid waste methane emissions. Carbon Mapper
- Carbon Mapper gave an average source emission rate of 1,300 kg/h for the Hassi Bounif landfill in Oran; a plume from the site was recorded on 25 October 2024. Carbon Mapper
- Press and investigations Impakter: Reported on 20 March 2026 that the top-polluting landfill is located in Algiers, at 7.4 t/h between 2 January and 18 September 2025, attributing the figure to the UCLA Stop Methane project. Impakter
- Researchers UCLA / Stop Methane: Its page of 20 April 2026 names a landfill near Buenos Aires as number 1 at 7.6 t/h and lists 'Algeria (1)' among the top 25 without detail. UCLA Emmett Institute / Stop Methane
Carbon Mapper's satellite data, published in June 2025, showed methane emissions from the Magtaa Kheira landfill near Algiers almost two orders of magnitude larger than modelled emissions. A 2026 press article and a UCLA page differ on the rank of the Algiers landfill among the world's largest plumes of 2025.
Carbon Mapper wrote that this is equivalent to one-third of Algeria's reported national solid waste methane emissions; survey period August 2022 – May 2025.
Status As of April 2026: satellite measurements are published by Carbon Mapper (June 2025); the UCLA page and Impakter differ on the Algiers landfill's 2025 rank; no response from Algerian authorities is on record.
- Atmosphere above Magtaa Kheira landfill (Mahelma, Algiers) — Methane emissions almost two orders of magnitude above modelled values; 88% of Algeria's waste super-emitter emissions (Carbon Mapper) Carbon Mapper
- Atmosphere above Hassi Bounif landfill (Oran) — Average source emission rate of 1,300 kg/h (Carbon Mapper) Carbon Mapper
What happened
Carbon Mapper's brief 'Methane Waste Super-emitters: An Opportunity for Global Action in the Waste Sector', published on 25 June 2025, used NASA EMIT and Planet Tanager-1 satellite data from August 2022 to May 2025. On the Magtaa Kheira landfill in Mahelma municipality, about 20 km southwest of Algiers (listed by Carbon Mapper under 'Blida, Algeria'), it wrote that its satellite data show emissions 'almost two orders of magnitude larger than modelled emissions', referring to the EDGAR and Climate TRACE inventories. It wrote that the landfill 'can account for 88% of waste super-emitter emissions in Algeria', 'equivalent to one-third of Algeria's reported national solid waste methane emissions', and called it an 'especially egregious emitter'.
For the Hassi Bounif landfill in Oran, Carbon Mapper gave an average source emission rate of 1,300 kg/h and recorded a plume on 25 October 2024. An Algiers-area plume was recorded by Tanager-1 on 2 January 2025.
In March 2026 Impakter reported that the top-polluting landfill was located in Algiers, at 7.4 t/h between 2 January and 18 September 2025, attributing the figure to the UCLA Stop Methane project. The UCLA/Stop Methane page of 20 April 2026 names a landfill near Buenos Aires as number 1 at 7.6 t/h and lists 'Algeria (1)' among the top 25 plumes without further detail.
- 2022Start of the satellite survey period (August)
- 2024Hassi Bounif plume recorded (25 Oct)
- 2025Algiers-area plume recorded by Tanager-1 (2 Jan); survey period ends (May); Carbon Mapper brief published (25 June)
- 2026Impakter article (20 Mar) and UCLA/Stop Methane top-25 page (20 Apr) give differing accounts of the Algiers landfill's rank
What was said
“Our satellite data show emissions that are almost two orders of magnitude larger than modelled emissions”
“The landfill can account for 88% of waste super-emitter emissions in Algeria”
“equivalent to one-third of Algeria's reported national solid waste methane emissions”
“especially egregious emitter”
“The top-polluting landfill is located in Algiers, Algeria”
Where accounts differ
Each party's account, side by side, with its source. The record does not settle these points; it shows them.
Reported on 20 March 2026 that the top-polluting landfill is located in Algiers, at 7.4 t/h between 2 January and 18 September 2025, attributing the figure to the UCLA Stop Methane project.
ImpakterIts page of 20 April 2026 names a landfill near Buenos Aires as number 1 at 7.6 t/h and lists 'Algeria (1)' among the top 25 without detail.
UCLA Emmett Institute / Stop MethaneHow it looked
Shown
- The Magtaa Kheira landfill accounts for 88% of waste super-emitter emissions in Algeria.Carbon Mapper, brief of 25 June 2025 · Carbon Mapper
- The top-polluting landfill is in Algiers at 7.4 t/h between 2 January and 18 September 2025.Impakter, 20 March 2026, attributing the figure to UCLA Stop Methane · Impakter
Recorded
- Carbon Mapper: Magtaa Kheira emissions almost two orders of magnitude larger than modelled emissions; 88% of waste super-emitter emissions in Algeria.
- Carbon Mapper: Hassi Bounif average source emission rate 1,300 kg/h, plume of 25 October 2024.
- UCLA/Stop Methane (20 April 2026): landfill near Buenos Aires No. 1 at 7.6 t/h; 'Algeria (1)' among the top 25 without detail.
Who gained
Reached nature or the ground
Gained elsewhere
Responses on record
- carbon-mapper (25 June 2025): Named the Magtaa Kheira landfill an 'especially egregious emitter' and wrote that its emissions are almost two orders of magnitude larger than modelled. · Carbon Mapper
In court and with insurers
Lawsuits and rulings
Insurers
What nature saw
Nature's report opens this page. Below: further outcomes measured on the ground.
What we don't know
Nature
- Disputed Rank and emission rate of the Algiers landfill among 2025 methane plumes
Money
- None on record Fine, public budget or climate-finance project linked to the two landfills — None on record.
Court
- None on record No court case on record.
Record
- None on record None on record: a fine, public budget or climate-finance project linked to Magtaa Kheira or Hassi Bounif.
- None on record None on record: a response from the Algerian Ministry of Environment, the National Waste Agency or the wilayas of Algiers and Blida.
- Not disclosed Not disclosed: Carbon Mapper gives no kg/h figure for Magtaa Kheira and no count of Algerian super-emitting sites.
- Unclear Unclear: the location of the 'Algeria (1)' entry in the UCLA top-25 list, which gives no detail.
- None on record None on record: legal proceedings or insurance.
Did the harm stop?
None on record.
Who paid?
None on record. No fine, budget or climate-finance project is linked to the two landfills.
Sources
Press and investigations
- Methane Leaks: Mega Problem, Easy FixImpakter · 2026-03-20
Communities and civil society
- Methane Waste Super-emitters: An Opportunity for Global Action in the Waste SectorCarbon Mapper · 2025-06-25
Researchers
- Spotlight on the Top 25 Methane Plumes in 2025: LandfillsUCLA Emmett Institute / Stop Methane · 2026-04-20
Connected cases
- TNC chief scientist urged conservation groups to partner with companies United States · 2011–2015
- UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability (University) — here: UCLA Stop Methane top-25 plume ranking (April 2026); there: Kareiva's institute from July 2015