Information on peatland destruction needed quickly

John Crump

By GRID-Arendal

November 17^th, 2016

GRID-Arendal is taking part in an assessment on the role destruction of the world’s peatlands plays in climate change announced today at the climate change talks in Morocco.

GRID-Arendal is leading an analysis of the situation that will form the first part of the Global Peatlands Initiative, led by UN Environment, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and other partners. Called a Rapid Response Assessment, this new report will take a snapshot of the state of global peatlands, where they are and what is happening to them. Greenhouse gas emissions from drained or burning peatlands account for up to 5% of the CO2 emissions caused by humans.

Peat is partially decayed plant material that accumulates under water-logged conditions over long time periods. Natural areas covered by peat are called peatlands. Terms commonly used for specific peatland types are peat swamp forests, fens, bogs or mires. Peat is found around the world – in permafrost regions towards the poles and at high altitudes, in coastal areas, beneath tropical rainforest and in boreal forests.

Information on peatland destruction needed quickly

Peatlands store large amounts of carbon. Although they cover less than three per cent of global land surface, estimates suggest that peatlands contain twice as much carbon as all the world’s forests and four times as much carbon as the atmosphere.

The rapid assessment will examine what we know about the state of the world’s peatlands, identify knowledge gaps and propose actions to manage them that can be taken now. The work will be carried out over the next few months with a report due in the spring of 2017.

It is designed to raise awareness about the issue and will lay the groundwork for the more comprehensive global initiative announced today at the UNFCCC CoP22.