Protecting Peatlands Could Cut Southeast Asia’s Emissions by 50%
Affiliate Disclosure
Hey fellow impactful ninja ?
You may have noticed that Impactful Ninja is all about providing helpful information to make a positive impact on the world and society. And that we love to link back to where we found all the information for each of our posts.
Most of these links are informational-based for you to check out their primary sources with one click.
But some of these links are so-called "affiliate links" to products that we recommend.
Why do we add these product links?
First and foremost, because we believe that they add value to you. For example, when we wrote a post about the environmental impact of long showers, we came across an EPA recommendation to use WaterSense showerheads. So we linked to where you can find them. Or, for many of our posts, we also link to our favorite books on that topic so that you can get a much more holistic overview than one single blog post could provide.
And when there is an affiliate program for these products, we sign up for it. For example, as Amazon Associates, we earn from qualifying purchases.
What do these affiliate links mean for you?
First, and most importantly, we still only recommend products that we believe add value for you.
When you buy something through one of our affiliate links, we may earn a small commission - but at no additional costs to you.
And when you buy something through a link that is not an affiliate link, we won’t receive any commission but we’ll still be happy to have helped you.
What do these affiliate links mean for us?
When we find products that we believe add value to you and the seller has an affiliate program, we sign up for it.
When you buy something through one of our affiliate links, we may earn a small commission (at no extra costs to you).
And at this point in time, all money is reinvested in sharing the most helpful content with you. This includes all operating costs for running this site and the content creation itself.
What does this mean for me personally?
You may have noticed by the way Impactful Ninja is operated that money is not the driving factor behind it. It is a passion project of mine and I love to share helpful information with you to make a positive impact on the world and society. However, it's a project in that I invest a lot of time and also quite some money.
Eventually, my dream is to one day turn this passion project into my full-time job and provide even more helpful information. But that's still a long time to go.
Stay impactful,
At Impactful Ninja, we curate positive and impactful news for you. Follow us on Google News or sign up for our free newsletter to get these delivered straight to your inbox—just like our expert roundup below!
📰 The quick summary: New research shows that protecting and restoring Southeast Asia’s peatlands and mangroves could slash regional land-use emissions by 50%, offering a powerful natural solution to combat climate change.
📈 One key stat: Southeast Asia lost 41% of its peat swamp forests and 7.4% of its mangroves between 2001-2022, releasing 691.8 million metric tons of CO2 annually into the atmosphere.
💬 One key quote: “These ecosystems pack a climate mitigation punch far beyond their size, offering one of the most scalable and impactful natural solutions to combat the planet’s climate crisis,” said Sigit Sasmito from James Cook University.
1️⃣ The big picture: Southeast Asia’s peatlands and mangroves play a crucial role in storing carbon and fighting climate change, but they’re disappearing at an alarming rate. A new study published in Nature Communications reveals that protecting and restoring these vital ecosystems could cut the region’s land-use emissions in half. While these wetlands only occupy 5% of Southeast Asia’s land area, they store massive amounts of carbon in their soils. The research shows that rewetting drained peatlands and restoring degraded areas could reduce emissions by 770 million metric tons of CO2 annually – equivalent to 16% of global land-use emissions. Indonesia holds the greatest potential for these conservation efforts due to having the largest area of both ecosystems in the region.
2️⃣ Why is this good news: This research identifies a powerful and cost-effective natural solution to combat climate change in Southeast Asia. The conservation and restoration of peatlands and mangroves can help countries drastically reduce their emissions and exceed their climate commitments under the Paris Agreement. For example, Indonesia’s wetland conservation efforts alone could surpass its 2030 emission reduction targets. The approach can reduce national land-use emissions by up to 88% in Malaysia and 64% in Indonesia. These ecosystems also provide additional benefits beyond carbon storage, including protecting biodiversity and supporting local communities.
3️⃣ What’s next: Governments across Southeast Asia need to integrate peatland and mangrove conservation into their national climate strategies. Countries can update their climate commitments (NDCs) to be more ambitious by including these ecosystem restoration efforts. This requires substantial investment in effective conservation and restoration programs. The focus should be on preventing further losses while actively restoring degraded areas through actions like rewetting drained peatlands.
Read the full story here: Mongabay – Protecting peatlands and mangroves could halve Southeast Asia’s land-use emissions
