To reduce fire risk and stop enormous amount of carbon from being emitted from the soil into the atmosphere, Indonesia is rewetting over two million hectares of dried out peatlands, while scaling up information sharing on these the carbon-rich wetlands globally.

Globally, the vital importance of peatlands has historically been poorly understood, and they are frequently drained for plantations, farming and forestry. In an effort to reduce the fire risk, the government has stepped up law enforcement to make sure peatland regulations – including a nationwide ban prohibiting new peatland drainage – are enforced.

While knowledge of tropical peatlands has hugely increased in recent years, scattered data and experience on tropical peatlands make it hard to make well-informed decisions on their management. To pursue a more synergized approach to the management of these fragile ecosystems, an Interim Secretariat of the International Tropical Peatland Center was launched in Indonesia today.

Continue reading at http://www.fao.org/indonesia/news/detail-events/en/c/1160980/

Click for more