teraju.id, Bonn-Germany – Peatlands have so far been underestimated in global climate change negotiations, but this is starting to change. Discussions alongside the UNFCCC Bonn Climate Change Conference last week showed an increasing interest in the carbon dynamics of these critical landscapes, and their potential contribution to climate change mitigation and adaptation.
The Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) and partners held a well-attended side event on 11 May, titled Re-discovering the magnificent carbon storage potential of wetlands and peatlands. Co-hosted by the European Space Agency (ESA), Friedrich Schiller University Jena (FSU Jena) and Wageningen University & Research (WUR), the event highlighted the latest research on how to best manage, conserve, monitor and restore peatlands, and how they can be incorporated in climate change action. Millions of people earn their livelihoods off peatlands, but unsustainable practices are threatening the integrity of these ecosystems, and could accelerate global climate change.
Drainage, burning and conversion of peatlands for agriculture and other purposes is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions. There is an urgent need to develop low-impact agricultural practices that can sustain both peat and people. Rich in organic matter, peatlands also hold enormous potential to counter climate change.
