Conclusion
The report warns peatland degradation and subsidence due to drainage in the tropics for agriculture, livestock farming, and oil palm plantations. Thawing permafrost due to climate change is another key factor in their rapid degradation.
Overall, 500,000 hectares (0.1 percent) of intact peatlands are destroyed annually by human activities in hotspots like East and Southeast Asia, while peatlands remain mostly intact in regions remote from international markets, within some (sub)arctic, boreal, and tropical zones.
The report builds on the 2022 Global Peatlands Assessment and continues to press decision-makers to prioritize peatland protection as a cost-effective climate solution, delivering multiple benefits to people, nature, and climate.
UNEP’s Global Peatlands Initiative (GPI) is at the forefront of advancing strategies for peatlands conservation, restoration, and sustainable management worldwide.
Using the Global Peatland Hotspot Atlas, it promotes climate action in priority areas through holistic water management and a landscape approach. UNEP News
