http://www.fao.org/in-action/micca/knowledge/peatlands-and-organic-soils/en/ This presentation was given by Martial Bernoux, FAO, at the side event “Wetlands and Peat – Understanding the Potential” that took place at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP22) in Marrakech, 12 November 2016. It describes what countries can do to improve peatland management, and introduces FAO tools for assessing and monitoring peatland management.

1. Peatlands data and information - what we know and what we need?
Solving consequences of peatlands drainage
Martial Bernoux, Hans Joosten, Armine Avagyan, Maria Nuutinen, Alexandra Barthelmes,
Jan Peters, Laure-Sophie Schiettecatte, Adam Gerrand, Jaime Webbe & Lera Miles
12 November 2016, COP22 Marrakech, Room Brussels, EU Pavilion
Photo: Alue Dohong

2. What countries need to improve peatland
management?
 High-resolution data and information on organic
soil (peat) areas and their drainage status
These need to be used for:
 Capacity building for rewetting and wet use
options (paludiculture = GHG emission
reductions)
 Policy guidance to harmonize regulations for
more sustainable land use management,
tenure
 Finance to develop specific wet use options
and to implement them.

3. Addressing peat data needs
Source: FAO, 2014
• Harmonizing information from different sources
• Exact locations of peat soils and their status to guide land management
• Guidance on: how to i) map organic soils, ii) monitor peatland
restoration and ii) report on GHG emissions

4. Addressing peat data needs
Japan
Iceland
Canada
Ukraine
USA
Belarus
RussianFederation
EU
Mozambique
Zambia
Bangladesh
Myanmar
Brazil
Malaysia
PapuaNewGuinea
Mongolia
China
Indonesia
0
20
40
60
80
100
3 Parties:
1.125 Mt,
70 %
7 Parties:
1.340 Mt, 80 %
13 Parties:
1470 Mt, 90 %
24 Parties:
1550 Mt, 95 %
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
Mt CO2e %
Australia
Guinea-Bissau
Norway
India
Vietnam
NewZealand
Guyana
25 countries are responsible for 95% of
global peatland emissions.

5. Data on subsidence and biodiversity loss
Land loss: Subsidence can be up to 2.5 metres after 25
years of drainage.
Biodiversity loss – case of mammals in Indonesia:
Peatland conversion contributes to the biodiversity loss.
• Over the last 75 years, the number of Sumatran orangutans
has declined by 80%.
• Currently, there are only 400 Sumatran tigers living in the wild.
Dissolved organic carbon loss: When intact
peatlands are drained carbon losses via water increase
by 50%.
Overall: loss of adaptive capacity and
ecosystem services  This loss can be
quantified.Photo: Jauhiainen Jyrki
Peat subsidence at
oil palm plantation

6. Tools for
assessing
and
monitoring
peatland
management

7. FAO EX-ACT tool:
GHG estimations from peatlands management
○ Based on the methodology from the IPCC 2006 and updated with the
Wetlands Supplement 2013.
○ Activity’s impact on GHG emissions can be estimated from:
• Inland organic soils: drainage, fire, rewetting and peat extraction
• Coastal wetlands: extraction, drainage and rewetting
• User can insert own data on GHG emissions (Tier 2)
○Refining the tool with Indonesian Peatland Restoration Agency (BRG):
• estimating the emission reduction potential for restoration of 2 million ha of
drained and degrading peatland under different management practices
• supporting moratorium on 4 million hectares of peat swamp forest.
www.fao.org/tc/exact/accueil-ex-act

8. FAO Collect Earth tool: monitoring land use change
1. OpenFORIS tools are used in over 20
countries, free, easy software for forest data
analysis
2. Collect Earth uses Google Earth samples
• Fast visual classification using high-
resolution images in a few clicks
• Rapid monitoring of land cover
changes
(e.g. clearing of peat swamp forests)
• Can be used for forest cover change
statistics (IPCC/UNFCCC)

9. Collect Earth in Indonesia
○ bullets
More info:
www.openforis.org
36 people
completed over
8 000 points across
Indonesia in 5 days

10. Rapid assessment on
global peatlands, 2017
• Call for policy attention to peatlands
• Current knowledge & data needs
• Showcases
• ecosystem services (e.g. water, climate
mitigation, biodiversity)
• policy context
• drivers of drainage and fire
• Gives a future outlook and
recommendations
• Collaborative effort of the members
of the Global Peatlands Initiative
Photo: Tony Hisgett, Sumatran tiger.

11. Key messages - 1
1. Most countries have
peatlands and should take
them into account in climate
action.
• Guiding land management,
especially avoiding
drainage
• Reporting GHG emissions,
if peatlands are drained,
degraded or burned
2. Globally the peatland area is
relatively small and scattered
but globally significant. Photo: FAO, Burera lake in the Kagera region,
Rwanda.

12. Key messages - 23. Solutions exist for restoring peatlands.
4. Avoiding conversion is still the most effective means to avoid
emissions.
5. Develop capacities in countries to:
• Map peatlands and their drainage status in high resolution
• Manage and govern: harmonize policies, guide in practices
• Phase out unsustainable land-use and develop drainage-free alternatives for
livelihoods
• Measure, share best practice and report the progress.

13. Thank you for your attention
www.globalpeatlands.org
micca@fao.org
Jaime.webbe@unep.org

14. Extra slides

15. • Guidebooks to decision makers and land managers & submissions to
UNFCCC
• Evaluate and record peatlands management practices
• EX-ACT tool to estimate GHG emissions from rewetted peatlands
Proveds data & synthesizes global information
• Exchange information through online discussion group
• Organize expert workshops and online learning events
Facilitates knowledge sharing
• Sustainable inland fisheries in burned peatlands
•Preparing to pilot and test various paludiculture species jointly with
the Government of Indonesia and partners.
Pilots options for drainage-free livelihoods
www.fao.org/in-action/micca/knowledge/peatlands-and-organic-soils/
FAO’s work on peatlands in wet state

16. Global Peatlands Initiative and its objectives (phase 1)
AT THE GLOBAL LEVEL
• Provide an updated overall assessment of the status of peatlands and
their importance in the global carbon cycle and to national economies.
AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL
• identify and begin to respond to the needs of pilot countries with
substantial peat coverage through building the knowledge base and
developing options to reduce degradation.
• improve the sustainability of peatland management including through
restoration and the development and adoption of sustainable peatland
strategies and action plans.