Peatland Stocks and emissions Faizal Parish Global Environment Centre Andrey Sirin, Russian Academy Of Science Hans Joosten, International Mire Conservation.

Peatland Stocks and emissionsPeatland Stocks and emissions

Faizal ParishFaizal ParishGlobal Environment CentreGlobal Environment Centre

Andrey Sirin, Russian Academy Of Science Andrey Sirin, Russian Academy Of Science Hans Joosten, International Mire Conservation Group Hans Joosten, International Mire Conservation Group

Tatiana Minaeva, Wetlands InternationalTatiana Minaeva, Wetlands InternationalMarcel Silvius, Wetlands InternationalMarcel Silvius, Wetlands International

UNFCCC COP 14 December 2008

Side event 8th December 2008

Integrated Management of Peatlands for Biodiversity and Climate ChangeIntegrated Management of Peatlands for Biodiversity and Climate Change

PresentationPresentation

Peatlands Peatlands Nature and values of peatlandsNature and values of peatlands Peatland emissions and associated Peatland emissions and associated

factorsfactors Reduction of emissionsReduction of emissions

Info Sources Info Sources

Assessment on Peatlands Biodiversity and Assessment on Peatlands Biodiversity and Climate Change (GEC and Wetlands Climate Change (GEC and Wetlands International)International)

Global Database on peatlands (IMCG)Global Database on peatlands (IMCG)

www.wetlands.orgwww.peat-portal.net www.gecnet.infowww.gecnet.info

Peatlands are wetlands where :Peatlands are wetlands where : a) a) waterlogging delays waterlogging delays decaydecay ; b) dead plants form peat Colchis,Georgia

What are peatlandsWhat are peatlands

Lesotho

Peat accumulates for thousands of years storing concentrated Carbon in thick layers

peat from 2 m deep

Covering 4 million km2, primarily in the boreal, subarctic and tropical zones, peatlands are found in almost every country.

Peatlands are everywhere…

… from the tundra …

Yakutia, RF

… to the tropics and …

Borneo

… from the mountains …

Kyrgystan

Over permafrost

NWT, Canada

Under grasslands …

Sichuan, China

… along the rivers …

KyrgystanRuaha River Tanzania

Archangelsk, RF

… to the sea …

Peatlands are water

Flow Country, Scotland

Peatlands regulate climate

CO2 CO2 CH4CH4

N O2УГВ

Pechora, RF

Peatland has high Biodiversity

Peatlands have high ecosystem diversity

Finland

Many indigenous cultures and local communities depend on peatlands.

People in Peat swamp Forest in PahangPeatlands Feed communities

Fishing, Pahang, MalaysiaSource: UNDP-GEF PSF Project

Peatlands support communities

Jelutong - Chewing Gum tree, Indonesia

Peatlands are the most space-effective carbon (C) stocks of all terrestrial ecosystems.

Kyrgystan

Peatlands and carbonPeatlands and carbon

While covering only 3% of the World’s land area, peatlands contain 550 Billion tonnes of carbon in their peat.

This is equivalent to twice the carbon stock in the forest biomass of the world.

This makes peatlands the top long-term carbon stock in the terrestrial biosphere.

Ruoergai China

Peatland drainage and fires are one of the main sources of carbon released to the atmosphere from the land use sector.

Distribution of peatlands Distribution of peatlands

Continents Total area in 106 km2

Continent in % of global land area

Peatlands in km2 % of area of continent

% of global peatland area

Africa 30.37 20.3 58,534 1.9 1.4

Antarctica 13.72 9.2 1 0.0 0.0

Asia 43.81 29.3 1,523,287 3.5 36.7

Australasia (Oceania) 9.01 6.0 8,009 0.1 0.2

Europe 10.40 7.0 514,882 5.0 12.4

North America 24.49 16.4 1,884,493 7.7 45.3

South America 17.84 11.9 166,253 0.9 4.0

Total 149.64 100.0 4,155,459 2.8 100.0

Top 15 countries for Top 15 countries for peatland areapeatland areaCountry Peatland area (km2)

1 Russia 1,390,000

2 Canada 1,177,000

3 USA 625,000

4 Indonesia 270,000

5 Finland 85,000

6 Sweden 66,000

7 Brazil 55,000

8 Peru 50,000

9 Papua New Guinea 28,942

10 Norway 28,000

11 Malaysia 25,000

12 Belarus 23,500

13 United Kingdom 17,500

14 Dem. Republic of the Congo 14,000

15 Uganda 14,000

Peat Peat compared compared to other to other storesstores

The main impacts on peatlands include drainage for agriculture and forestry and associated peat fires, peat extraction, infrastructure and pollution

Drained peat releases carbon

• Drainage to 1 meter = emission of 90 ton CODrainage to 1 meter = emission of 90 ton CO22/ha/yr in /ha/yr in

tropics - 30 ton COtropics - 30 ton CO22/ha/yr in temperate region /ha/yr in temperate region

• SE Asia: Agriculture & agro-forestry on 12 million ha contributes around 600 MtCO2/yr (drainage only)

Relation between CO2 emission and watertable depth

0

20

40

60

80

100

0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1average watertable depth (m)

CO

2 em

issi

on

(t /

ha

/ yr

) Tropics

Temperate

Boreal

Source: Alterra

Main regions with peatland Main regions with peatland emisions from drainageemisions from drainage

Burning peat releases more carbonBurning peat releases more carbon

• Tentative average annual emissions estimate: 1400 to 4300 Mt CO2/y

Tentative estimate of CO2 emissions from fires in Indonesia

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006C

em

iss

ion

fro

m p

ea

t fi

res

(CO

2, M

t/y

)

Minimum estimate(1.42 Gt/y average)

Maximum estimate(4.32 Gt/y average)

Emissions from peatlandsEmissions from peatlands globallyglobally

Cause Drained area

CO2

emission

Total CO2

emission

Unit Mio Ha Ton CO2

ha-1 a-1

Mton a-1

Drained peatlands in SE Asia1 12 50 600

Peatland fires in SE Asia1 1,400

Peatland agriculture outside SE Asia 30 25 750

Urbanisation, infrastructure on peatland

5 30 150

Peat extraction 60

Boreal peatland forestry 12 1 12

Temperate/tropical peatland forestry 3.5 30 105

Total 63 3,077

Peatlands in relation to Peatlands in relation to other emissionsother emissions

Peatland global emissions – 3 billion Peatland global emissions – 3 billion tonnes CO2tonnes CO2

Land Use Change 5.3-7 Billion Land Use Change 5.3-7 Billion tonnes tonnes

Peatland emissions are 40% of Peatland emissions are 40% of global land use change emissionsglobal land use change emissions

IssuesIssues

PermanencePermanence Emission trends Emission trends Methane and Nitrous oxideMethane and Nitrous oxide

Peatlands have greater potential for permanence than any other terrestrial ecosystem (All Coal and lignite and part of the oil and gas originated from peat deposits of previous geological periods).

Future trends in Future trends in emissionsemissions

Water levels and methane Water levels and methane emissions in temperate emissions in temperate

peatlands per yearpeatlands per year

-100

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

-100 -80 -60 -40 -20 0 20 40 60

mean water level [cm]

kg C

H4∙

ha

-1∙a

-1

-2

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

t C

O2-

eq∙h

a-1

∙a-1

bogs

fens

other

Water levels and methane Water levels and methane emissions in tropical emissions in tropical peatlands per hourpeatlands per hour

-0,5

0,0

0,5

1,0

1,5

2,0

2,5

3,0

-100 -80 -60 -40 -20 0 20

water level [cm]

CH

4 em

issi

on [m

g m

-2 h

-1]

agriculture: open

agriculture: treed

forest

Water levels and nitrous Water levels and nitrous oxide emissions in tropical oxide emissions in tropical

peatlands per hourpeatlands per hour

-0,1

0

0,1

0,2

0,3

0,4

0,5

0,6

0,7

-60 -50 -40 -30 -20 -10 0 10

water level [cm]

N2 O

em

issi

on

[mg

m-2

h-1

]

agriculture, open

forest

Emission reductionEmission reduction Stopping or controlling drainage and fire are the most Stopping or controlling drainage and fire are the most

important and cost effective measures to reduce important and cost effective measures to reduce peatland emissions.peatland emissions.

Increasing water levels in peatlands decreases Carbon Increasing water levels in peatlands decreases Carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide emissions but may increases dioxide and nitrous oxide emissions but may increases methane only in non-forested peatlands. The result is a methane only in non-forested peatlands. The result is a net reduction in GHG emission. net reduction in GHG emission.

Pilot emission reduction projects have demonstrated Pilot emission reduction projects have demonstrated that rapid reductions in emission can be achieved that rapid reductions in emission can be achieved within months or at most a few years after the within months or at most a few years after the management interventions.management interventions.

Large scale emission reductions are possible at Large scale emission reductions are possible at relatively low cost of $1-5/tonne of Carbon dioxide.relatively low cost of $1-5/tonne of Carbon dioxide.

Emission reductions often have more permanence and Emission reductions often have more permanence and less leakage that other land use emission reduction less leakage that other land use emission reduction options.options.

Rehabilitation of Rehabilitation of Degraded Degraded peatlands peatlands through blocking through blocking abandoned abandoned drainagedrainage

Thailand – Peat ReforestationThailand – Peat Reforestation

ConclusionsConclusions Peatlands are the most important terrestrial carbon Peatlands are the most important terrestrial carbon

store.store. Peatland drainage and fire releases about 3 billion Peatland drainage and fire releases about 3 billion

tonnes of Carbon dioxide per year – equivalent to tonnes of Carbon dioxide per year – equivalent to about 40% of total emissions from land use change – about 40% of total emissions from land use change – equal to all emissions from deforestation – but on only equal to all emissions from deforestation – but on only 3% of the land area.3% of the land area.

Peatland stocks naturally have a long permanence, but Peatland stocks naturally have a long permanence, but after degradation can generate long term emissions.after degradation can generate long term emissions.

Drainage may reduce methane emissions in some Drainage may reduce methane emissions in some peatlands but increases nitrous oxide emissions.peatlands but increases nitrous oxide emissions.

Control of peatland emissions is arguably more Control of peatland emissions is arguably more strategic that control of all other land use change and strategic that control of all other land use change and land use emissions land use emissions

Thank you