PEATLANDS

Landscapes that matter

The Center for International Forestry Research has led global research on peatlands for more than 20 years. As the world acts on climate change, understanding the diverse values of peatlands is more important than ever. Explore this site to learn more about CIFOR’s ongoing research into these critical landscapes.

Why do peatlands matter?

Peatlands are a source of life for plants, animals and people. They provide food, clean water and other benefits to nearby communities, and are an essential resource for livelihoods. They are also home to many of the world’s threatened species, such as orangutans, rhinoceroses and leopards.

Peatlands play a critical role in climate change mitigation and adaptation. Draining, clearing and burning of peatlands for agriculture and other purposes is a massive source of greenhouse gas emissions globally. Meanwhile, the carbon storage potential of undisturbed peatlands is widely underappreciated.

Research is needed to better map and quantify the world’s peatlands, and understand their diverse values across landscapes, including for local communities. This will support more effective efforts toward conservation and restoration of peatlands, and global action on climate change.

What are peatlands?

Peatlands are formed when an abundance of water slows the rate of decay of vegetation, leaving behind a layer of rich, organic matter known as peat. This makes them highly efficient carbon sinks – despite covering only 3-5% of the earth’s surface, peatlands are estimated to hold more than 30% of the world’s soil carbon stocks.

Peatlands are found all over the world, from permafrost regions to tropical rainforests and coastal areas. Yet they remain some of the least understood and monitored ecosystems in the world.

CIFOR PROJECTS

SWAMP: Sustainable Wetlands Adaptation and Mitigation Program

GCS REDD+: Global Comparative Study on REDD+

Fire and Haze

GOLS: Governing Oil Palm Landscapes

Conservation and Sustainable Use of Tropical Forest Biodiversity

Forest Landscape Restoration

Bioenergy Production on Degraded Land in Indonesia

Gender Integration and Gender Responsive Research

Publications

Managing peatlands in Indonesia: Challenges and opportunities for local and global communities

New map reveals more peat in the tropics

Permanent research plots in Bengkalis, Riau: Carbon dynamics and water regimes of re-wetted peatlands

The public and private regime complex for governing palm oil supply: what scope for building connections and enhancing complementarities?

From perceptions and discourses to policy content: A mixed method analysis of peatland fire management in Indonesia

Peatlands

The IPN toolbox (in Bahasa Indonesia) is a training tool on the challenges and opportunities of peatlands in Indonesia, and the relationship with climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Learn more

Wetlands

The SWAMP toolbox provides training materials for academia, policy makers and practitioners on wetlands issues related to climate change and mitigation strategies.

Learn more

Climate change

CarboScen is a tool to estimate carbon implications of land-use scenarios.

Learn more

Slides

Tropical peat swamp forests: Current knowledge, gaps and science needs

Carbon loss associated with land-use change in tropical peatlands: methods and estimates

Characterizing Forest Degradation and Carbon Biomass Assessment in Tropical Peatlands using Multi Remote Sensing Approaches

Characterizing Forest Degradation and Carbon Biomass Assessment in Tropical Peatlands using Multi-Temporal and Multi-Polarizations SAR Data

Translating Wetland Research into Policy

NEWS

Degraded Amazonian peatlands are overlooked carbon source

Unsustainable palm fruit harvesting turns Peru palm swamp peatlands into net emitters Learn more

What are we missing in the links between forests and health?

Global evidence map reveals gaps, helps point to new directions Learn more

Study: Cocoa disease devastates Côte d’Ivoire livelihoods – but hope remains

Collective effort needed to mitigate impacts of swollen shoot disease Learn more

Humanity now lives beyond most environmental limits on Earth, study finds

Six out of nine planetary boundaries have been breached, and more are at risk Learn more

“We cannot restore the peatlands if we don’t improve the livelihoods of the people”

In Indonesia’s Riau province, ground-up approach helps prevent fire, restore ecosystems Learn more

Visiting Lecture: Taking local context into account in REDD+ policy implementation

Diagnosing deforestation into effective solutions Learn more

Peatland, Indonesia

Pedro – a solitair orangutan is wating for meals on the edge of Sekonyer river, Tanjung Puting National Park, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia. Peat swamp forest also hold a crucial role as Orangutan habitat. Photo by Daniel Murdiyarso/CIFOR

Peat examinations. CIFOR researchers install a device to examine peat dynamics in the Tumbang Nusa research forest outside Palangka Raya, Central Kalimantan. Photo by Aulia Erlangga/CIFOR

USFS staff along with national park ranger, measures downed woody debris. Downed woody debris is also on of parameter to measure carbon stock in the forest. Photo by Daniel Murdiyarso/CIFOR

View of Danau Sentarum from Vega hill. Danau Sentarum is the biggest tidal lake in the world where the lake turns to be completely dry during dry season. Photo by Ramadian Bachtiar/CIFOR

Berbak National Park. Photo by James Maiden/CIFOR

Carbon Measurement. Peat swamp forest in Berbak national park, Jambi province, Sumatra. Photo by Adam Gynch/CIFOR

Cleared Peatland in Central Kalimantan. Photo by Anna Finke/CIFOR

EVENTS

Tropical Peatlands Exchange 2018

The Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) with the support from the Government of Indonesia and participation of private sector is organizing a one-day event to provide platform for exchanges of information between stakeholders concerned on the sustainability of tropical peatlands in Indonesia.

Peatlands Matter

A special edition of the Global Landscapes Forum, with a focus on peatlands, was hosted on 18 May 2017 in Jakarta, Indonesia. The event brought together a range of stakeholders involved in the use and management of peatlands, from government officials to private sector representatives, community members, researchers and civil society.

Learn more

CIFOR and FOERDIA join forces to solve forest fires and peatlands

The multiple dimensions of peatlands protection and restoration are part of the areas of research of CIFOR and FOERDIA. Both institutions have collaborated since 1997 and will continue to work together to connect research with policymaking and implementation in a way that triggers action.

CIFOR at Bonn Climate Change Conference

CIFOR will join various sessions at the Bonn Climate Change Conference, bringing the latest scientific research and insights on the climate dimensions of land use, forestry, the urban environment, peatlands and other emissions hotspots in the tropics.

PEATLANDS BY THE NUMBERS

Media center

Media Contacts

We encourage media to contact our scientists and experts directly with interview requests or questions about peatlands.
For other support or requests, please contact our Media team.

Bimbika Sijapati Basnett

Scientist

b.basnett@cgiar.org

Topics:
Gender • Gender and migration • Gender and REDD+ safeguards • Large-scale land investments and green economy • Palm oil • Peatlands

Languages:
English, Nepalese

Christopher Martius

Team Leader - Climate Change, Energy, & LCD

c.martius@cgiar.org

Topics:
Climate change mitigation and adaptation • Coordinates the Global Comparative Study on REDD+ • Ecosystem services • Forest ecology biodiversity

Languages:
English, German, Portuguese, Spanish

Daniel Murdiyarso

Principal Scientist

d.murdiyarso@cgiar.org

Topics:
Carbon accounting • Forest policy in Indonesia • Mangroves and peatlands

Languages:
English, Indonesian

Dede Rohadi

Seconded Scientist

d.rohadi@cgiar.org

Topics:
Smallholder timber plantations • Timber certification • Rural livelihoods • Community-based forest management • Peatlands

Languages:
English, Indonesian

Herry Purnomo

Scientist

h.purnomo@cgiar.org

Topics:
Climate change • Forest governance • Systems modelling

Languages:
English, Indonesian

Himlal Baral

Senior Scientist

h.baral@cgiar.org

Topics:
Climate change adaptation and mitigation • Landscape management for environmental services • Landscape management of forested areas for environmental services • Peatlands

Languages:
English, Nepalese

Robert Nasi

Director General

r.nasi@cgiar.org

Topics:
Bushmeat (& Ebola) • Ecology and management of tropical forests • Forests in Africa • Gender • Peatlands • Production forests

Languages:
English, French

Media team

Budhy Kristanty

Indonesia Communications Officer
Bogor, Indonesia
b.kristanty@cgiar.org
Cell phone: +62 811 1904283
Work: +62 251 8622622 Ext.506
Skype: bkristanty
Languages: English, Indonesian

Available on demand: Broadcast-quality HD video footage of peatlands (landscapes, communities, fires, research) and interviews with experts.