Current publications
|
Search
|
Language(s):
English
, Author(s): The publication is produced jointly by Wetlands International and by the University of Greifswald, Hans Joosten for the technical part. Naomi Pena (Joanneum institute) and Murray Ward Global (Climate Change Consultancy (GtripleC) have provided guidance on the last chapters about policy issues.
This publication is meant to provide insight in the global greenhouse gas emissions from peatlands and formulates some UN-FCCC policy approaches to addressing these issues, as input to COP14 in Poznan. All over the world, precious peatland ecosystems, with a unique nature and beauty are degraded and destroyed. Peatswamp forests in Indonesia are drained and logged; tundra peatlands are affected by global warming and mountain peatlands like in the Himalayas are subject to overgrazing and mining.
Description:
Contrary to forests, few people recognize or are even aware of these areas. Even less people know that these areas, that cover only 3% of the land surface of the Earth, contain twice as much carbon as all the world’s forest biomass. Carbon that under normal conditions would remain stored for infinite times and eventually would turn into coal, is now released at an alarming rate, causing around 10% of all global carbon dioxide emissions.
These emissions remain largely unreported. And where reported, they are excluded from the national emission accounts. Wetlands International is dedicated to spread this message about this disaster and advocates that UNFCCC will provide incentives to address the loss of the world’s peatlands. As peatlands are unique ecosystems, addressing the emissions generates unique questions, to which this publication aims to provide answers.
Related Project(s):
Central Kalimantan Peatland Project