Peatswamp forests and soils are being drained, burnt, mined, and overgrazed contributing severely to climate change. As Peatlands form only 3% of all the world’s land area, their degradation makes up 10% of all fossil fuel carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.

What is a peatland?

Peatlands are areas with a thick organic soil layer (peat), and include wetlands like moors, bogs, mires, peatswamp forests or permafrost tundra. Alltogether they contain nearly 30 percent of all land-based carbon (550 GT carbon): this is 75% of all atmospheric carbon, and twice the carbon stock in the forest biomass of the world. Furthermore, peatswamps are hotspots for biodiversity and home to many endangered species, like the Orangutan.

What is the problem?

Deforestation, drainage, and burning are techniques used to turn peatlands into farmland. This not only destroys the habitat of many species, but heavily fuels climate change. Peat fires create enormous clouds of smoke that cross international borders, such as happen each year in Southeast Asia. A slower process that releases equal gigantic amounts of CO2 is the oxidation of peat. As peat is normally under water, drained peat comes in contact with air and turns into CO2, which is released into the atmosphere.

How can we tackle it?

Through the building of dams, Wetlands International is stopping the drainage of peatlands in Southeast Asia, thereby avoiding enormous CO2 emissions. Reforestation with native tree species as well as setting up community fire brigades are also part of an integral, very cost effective approach shown in Central Kalimantan and Sumatra, Indonesia.

The Global Peatland Fund

To enable rapid action to restore and sustain peatlands, Wetlands International has recently initiated The Global Peatland Fund, a carbon offsetting initiative that guarantees Voluntary Emissions Reductions and emissions removals (VERs). Read more...