The document summarizes the Global Peatlands Initiative, an effort led by experts to conserve peatlands and prevent carbon emissions. Peatlands store more carbon than all the world's forests but are threatened by drainage, subsidence, and fires. The Initiative aims to enhance resilience of agriculture on peatlands, demonstrate peatlands' values, and engage farmers in management. It will develop guidance, evaluate practices, estimate emissions, and facilitate knowledge sharing. The Initiative also plans to pilot alternative "paludiculture" crops that can thrive in undrained peatlands.

1. The Global Peatlands Initiative

2. Peat is…
• A soil type comprised of partly decomposed
organic matter
• Formed when anaerobic (wet) conditions slow
decomposition
• Also called turf, bogs, mires, muskeg, swamp
forests…

3. Peat…
Holds more carbon
than all the world’s
forests
Supports unique
biodiversity
Sustains cultures and
livelihoods
Supports highly
productive agriculture

4. Threats to Agriculture on Peatlands -
Subsidence
• Drained peatlands are subject to land
subsidence
• In coastal peatlands this = salt water intrusion
and frequent or permanent flooding
• May cause 250,000 km2 of coastal peatlands
in Southeast Asia to be lowered to near sea
level

5. Threats to Agriculture on Peatlands -
Fires
• Recent peat fires in Indonesia emitted nearly 16
million metric tons of CO2 /day during their peak
intensity
• Some daily emissions were as much as the entire
United States economy
• Fires and other such intermittent extreme
emissions events are not currently accounted for
in the IPCC future climate change scenarios
• The 2015 fires led to an estimated USD 16.1
billion in economic damage twice the value of the
Aceh Tsunami Reconstruction

6. Rationale for a Partnership
• There is an enormous scope of work currently
being carried out on and around peat
• However knowledge and information gaps
remain
• And disagreements exist, even at the level of
basic facts and figures
• There is also limited coordination at the
research and implementation level

7. The Global Peatlands Initiative
• An effort by leading experts and institutions to
save peatlands as the world’s largest
terrestrial organic carbon stock and to prevent
it being emitted into the atmosphere.

8. For Farmers the Global Peatlands
Initiative will…
Enhance resilience to climate change
impacts
Demonstrate the multiple values of
peat
Bring farmers into
peat management
decisions
Develop best
practices for
restoration
Monitor threats
in real time
Identify options
for innovative
financing

9. • Guidebooks to decision makers and land managers & submissions to
UNFCCC
• Evaluate and record peatlands management practices
• EX-ACT tool to estimate GHG emissions from rewetted peatlands
Synthesizes global information
• Exchange information through online discussion group
• Organize expert workshops and online learning events
Facilitates knowledge sharing
• Preparing to pilot and test various paludiculture species jointly with the
Government of Indonesia and partners.
Pilots paludicultures for drainage-free livelihoods
Learn more at:
www.fao.org/in-action/micca/knowledge/peatlands-and-organic-soils/
FAO’s work on peatlands in wet
state: paludicultures

10. The First Year
First
Partners
Meeting
(Sept)
Funding
Proposal
Preparation
(Nov- Jan)
Launch of
the Rapid
Response
Assessment
(Nov)
Second
Partnership
Meeting
(Feb -
March)
Launch of
the Rapid
Response
Assessment
(June)

11. Thank You
www.globalpeatlands.org
Jaime.webbe@unep.org