Why Peatlands Are Key to Fighting Climate Change
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📰 The quick summary: Peatlands cover just 3% of Earth’s land surface yet store nearly a third of the world’s soil carbon, making their conservation and restoration a major opportunity in the fight against climate change.
📈 One key stat: Peatlands store nearly a third of the world’s soil carbon despite covering only 3% of Earth’s terrestrial surface, making them one of the most carbon-dense ecosystems on the planet.
💬 One key quote: “[I]t surprised us that almost half was coming from ancient peat carbon,” said Travis Drake, lead author of a study on carbon emissions from lakes in the Congo Basin’s Cuvette Centrale peatlands.
1️⃣ The big picture: Peatlands are boggy, waterlogged ecosystems found across the globe, from the Russian Arctic to tropical central Africa, and they play an outsized role in regulating Earth’s climate. Although peatlands cover only 3% of Earth’s land surface, they hold nearly a third of the world’s soil carbon, locking it away for thousands of years. On World Peatland Day, recent reporting highlights three key stories: ancient carbon leaking from Congo Basin lakes, Indigenous communities restoring Arctic peatlands, and Peruvian communities adopting more sustainable harvesting practices to protect local peatland forests.
2️⃣ Why is this good news: Communities, scientists, and Indigenous groups are actively working to protect and restore peatlands, recognizing both their climate value and cultural significance. In Europe, Canada, and the US, a first-of-its-kind coordinated restoration hub has already helped restore more than 100,000 hectares of Arctic and boreal peatlands. Indigenous knowledge is playing a central role in that effort, with Gwich’in communities in Canada removing invasive plants and maintaining traditional land use practices that support ecosystem health. In Peru, local communities have shifted to more sustainable aguaje harvesting methods, protecting both their livelihoods and the carbon stored in peatland forests. These examples show that conservation does not have to come at the expense of local communities, and that protecting peatlands can go hand in hand with preserving culture and improving lives.
3️⃣ What’s next: Scientists are still working to understand whether ancient carbon leaking from Congo Basin lakes is a natural process or a sign of human-driven disruption. Restoration efforts in Arctic and boreal peatlands are expected to expand as the coordinated international hub builds on its early successes. Continued collaboration between Indigenous communities, researchers, and policymakers will be essential to scale up peatland protection globally.
Read the full story here: Mongabay – World Peatland Day honors a crucial ecosystem in the fight against climate change
