Unlocking the potential of peatland restoration: a comprehensive guide
Peatlands are vital ecosystems, yet they face widespread degradation due to human activities such as agriculture and forestry. Recognizing their crucial role in climate regulation, international frameworks like the Convention on Wetlands advocate for their restoration. This Ramsar Technical Report serves as a beacon for regional planners, site managers, and policymakers, offering extensive guidance on peatland rewetting and restoration.
Key Messages
- Global imperative: The Paris Agreement underscores the necessity to rewet nearly all drained peatlands globally, totaling over 50 million hectares, to mitigate climate change effectively.
- Complete rewetting: Failure to fully rewet degraded peatlands leads to ongoing carbon emissions and eventual environmental collapse, emphasizing the urgency for comprehensive restoration efforts.
- Conservation priority: While restoration is crucial, it cannot fully restore lost values. Thus, prioritizing conservation is paramount, ensuring the preservation of essential ecosystem functions.
