The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) published a document called Global Atlas of Peatland Hotspots for 2024 which shows that these areas are critically endangered in 177 member states of the United Nations.
Namely, peatlands represent important carbon stores and natural habitats with rich biodiversity, but intensive agriculture, urbanization, deforestation and industrialization affect their degradation, UNEP announced.
The new Global Atlas, published during the COP29 conference, introduces updated maps of the global distribution of peatlands, highlighting the threats they face and the opportunities for their restoration and conservation.
Susan Gardner, director of the UNEP Ecosystems Department, pointed out that peatlands, as natural carbon vaults, can make it easier or harder to reach climate goals, depending on how well we manage to protect them.
“Peatlands are found in almost every country and, in addition to storing huge amounts of carbon, they also provide essential services that millions of people rely on every day. “Protecting them is a fundamental investment in human well-being,” Gardner said.
Peatlands as water filters and protection from natural disasters
Although they cover only three to four percent of the planet’s land surface, peatlands store as much as one third of the world’s carbon that is in the soil – twice as much as in all the world’s forests combined. These natural resources not only provide habitat for more than 1,000 endangered plant and animal species, but also contribute significantly to ecological stability at the local level.
In addition, peatlands act as natural filters that purify water and, if preserved, reduce the risk of droughts, floods and fires. On the other hand, degraded peatlands become a source of greenhouse gases, releasing as much as four percent of global emissions caused by human activities.
The main causes of peatland degradation include their drying for agriculture, as well as the accelerated melting of permafrost due to climate change. UNEP says that peatland protection is not only an environmental imperative but also a key step towards a more sustainable future.
According to UNEP data, around 500,000 hectares of pristine peatlands are destroyed every year due to human activities, mostly in hotspots such as East and Southeast Asia. Those reed beds that are far from major international markets, mostly in the subarctic, boreal and tropical zones, still remain intact.
The new report builds on the 2022 Global Assessment of Peatlands and continues to press decision-makers to prioritize the protection of these areas as a cost-effective climate solution, which brings multiple benefits to people, nature and the climate.
Milena Maglovski
Source: energetskiportal.rs
