Peatlands store 100 years of CO2 emissions

The UN Convention on Climate Change is putting global climate at risk by ignoring carbon dioxide emissions from the destruction of carbon-rich peatlands in Indonesia, charged Wetlands International, a Dutch environmental group that has highlighted the climate impact of land-use change in southeast Asia.

“As much as 2000 million tonnes of carbon dioxide are released annually from just the logged and drained peatlands of South-east Asia; 8% of all global emissions,” stated a release from Wetlands International. Large scale deep drainage takes place in order to establish palm oil and pulpwood plantations. Drainage of peatlands leads especially in the tropics to rapid decomposition of peat and to wild fires.”

“Globally, more carbon is stored in peat than the atmosphere currently contains, equivalent to 100 years of all current CO2 emissions. Stopping this problem is technically possible: by closing drainage canals and in this way restoring the hydrology,” it continued.

mongabay.com