Peat

From Peru to the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Republic of Congo to Indonesia, peatlands restoration and management efforts have been underway with increasing attention over the past few years. Join distinct perspectives as they share national and local context, challenges, best practices and opportunities for improving peatlands management around the world. What have […]

Stark and competing demands characterize peatlands use management. While peatlands are important carbon sinks and stocks, estimated to hold more than 600 Gt of carbon, millions of farmers also derive their livelihoods from unsustainable agricultural practices on these lands. The opening plenary of the Global Landscapes Forum: Peatlands Matter event brings together voices and perspectives […]

The earth is crispy around here. Crunch, crunch, crunch—my every footstep made a crackling sound like a rustling bag of potato chips. Underneath the crunchy stuff was something almost fluffy. “It is the dried peat,” Nizar told me. He’s been working in this area for decades, acrobatically transitioning between the local community, government and private […]

“We are fighting for our land in our homeland,” explained Emmanuela Shinta as she approached the front of the stage proudly at the Global Landscapes Forum: Peatlands Matter event in Jakarta, May 18th 2017. Shinta brought along the stories from the ground all the way from the western part of Borneo, to Jakarta, the busiest […]

By Gabrielle Lipton, originally posted on Forests News Indonesia – The sky turned yellow just before the 2015 peatland fires reached their height in Kalimantan, Indonesia. Then it turned dark, like a phantom’s mask covering the island of Borneo with thick, humid brown haze. The particles in the air were so dense that people’s eyes […]

By Kate Evans, originally posted on Forests News Indonesia – New tools and new discoveries are drastically altering our existing knowledge of peatlands. Scientists have recently discovered the existence of huge, previously unknown areas of peatland in central Africa and South America – and the numbers are quite astonishing. A new map developed by the Center […]