Protecting Peatlands can help attain climate goals

The Peatlands are playing a crucial role in regulating global climate by acting as carbon sinks. These are facing degradation and need to be urgently monitored, according to a Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations report released recently. The report comprised information as well as recommendations to countries on restoring and managing these valuable ecosystems.

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Peatlands cover only three per cent of Earth’s surface. However, their degradation due to drainage, fire, agricultural use and forestry can trigger release of the stored carbon in a few decades. The publication, authored by 35 experts, highlights important case studies from Indonesia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Peru in their attempts to map and monitor peatlands. Peatlands contain 30 per cent of the world’s soil carbon. When drained, these emit greenhouse gases, contributing up to one gigaton of emissions per year through oxidation, according to the report.