Only 17% of peatlands worldwide are protected, compared to much higher levels for other vulnerable ecosystems—mangroves (42%), saltmarshes (50%), and tropical forests (38%). Without urgent action, these vital carbon stores face increasing threats from human activity and climate change.
Peatlands are deep, boggy, freshwater wetlands located in some of the more remote areas of the world, making them unfamiliar to most. Their waterlogged soils accumulate organic matter over centuries, creating unique and rich ecosystems known for their diversity of plant life. They can be found globally, in a range of climates, though their total surface area is relatively small. In total, these wetlands make up about three percent of the Earth’s land area, and yet may hold the key to preventing its climate crisis.
Peatlands are some of the most effective carbon sinks, meaning they absorb carbon that would otherwise remain in our atmosphere and contribute to global warming and climate change. Today, they continue to remove an additional 370 million tons of CO2 from the atmosphere each year and store 600 billion tons of CO2, which is more than all the Earth’s forests combined. In addition to the benefits they provide for climate regulation, they also regulate water supply, combat droughts and floods, and are of cultural significance to many communities.
Karukinka Peatlands
Karukinka Peatlands - WCS Chile
Peatland in Congo - WCS Congo
Hudson Bay Lowlands - WCS Canada
Peatlands across the Congo, Chile, and Canada.
However, peatlands can only continue providing these services if they are not degraded and many threats such as infrastructure development, mining, overharvesting, and fire exist. And what’s worse, if they do become degraded, they will release their carbon stores, making it nearly impossible to reach global climate goals and prevent the worst impacts of climate change.
Valle La Paciencia - WCS Chile
Aguajal Peatlands - WCS Peru
Peatlands in Chile (Valle La Paciencia) and Peru (Aguajal Area)
A recent study—the first of its kind—mapped peatlands globally to determine what percentage of these areas fall under some kind of formal protection and found that only 17% of peatlands fall within a protected area. Other at-risk ecosystems are afforded higher levels of protection, including mangroves (42%), saltmarshes (50%), and tropical forests (38%). In summary, these vital ecosystems are not close to being as protected as they should be.
* Web maps in this storymap show only areas with over 6.25% peatland coverage for visualization purposes.
GLOBAL PEATLAND COVERAGE AND UNPROTECTED PEATLAND
LEFT: Global Peatland Coverage | RIGHT: Unprotected Peatland
GLOBAL PEATLAND COVERAGE AND PROTECTED PEATLAND – BY TYPE
LEFT: Global Peatland Coverage | RIGHT: Peatland in Ramsar, Strictly and Multiple-Use Protected Areas
The study also reveals that 27% or global peatlands fall within Indigenous Peoples’ lands and have been safeguarded by these communities. However, 85% of these peatlands do not fall within any other types of protected areas. By strengthening Indigenous Peoples’ land rights, we can improve peatland conservation.
PROTECTED PEATLANDS IN WCS HIGH-INTEGRITY PEATLANDS REGIONS
WCS HIGH-INTEGRITY PEATLANDS REGIONS
The researchers also looked at threats to peatlands, and found that 15% of peatlands have been drained for agriculture, while an additional 5-10% are degraded in some way, including through the removal of their native vegetation. This rate is even higher in the tropics, where estimates suggest over 40% of peatlands have been degraded.
HUMAN PRESSURE IN PEATLANDS
By protecting peatlands now, we can avoid some of the worst impacts of climate change at a relatively low cost.
