A Synthesis and Way Forward 17 December 2020, 02.00-04.30 PM (GMT+7)
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Introduction
The global extent of tropical peatlands and peat swamp forests is relatively small, yet these ecosystems play an important role in the global carbon (C) cycle. Peatlands cover only 3% of earth’s land surface, however, peatland can store twice as much C as all the world’s forests. Peatlands also provide numerous ecosystem services ranging from regulating (climate, flood, and pollution abatement), provisioning (food, fibre, water, genetic resources), supporting (biodiversity, primary production, nutrient cycling), and socio-cultural (cultural use, recreation, education).
Despite their importance, peatlands have been degraded, drained and burned, mainly for agricultural and forestry purposes. Peatland degradation contributes ~ 2 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide per year to the atmosphere. Indonesia has pledged to restore over 2 Mha of deg
Putting people first is a vital part of the equation for protecting and restoring Indonesia’s vast tropical peatlands.
This was the resounding message from the third in a series of webinars exploring criteria and indicators for tropical peatland restoration hosted by the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) in collaboration with the Indonesian Peatland Restoration Agency (BRG). The webinar, attended by 145 people from 18 countries, explored best governance and socio-economic attributes underpinning successful peatland restoration practices and identified guidelines for appropriate monitoring criteria and indicators.
Indonesia is home to over a third of the world’s tropical peatlands, half of which have already been altered through drainage, deforestation and agriculture-related burning, and the country is working to reduce emissions and restore landscapes.