What Are Peatlands?

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..... What Are Peatlands?
By: - YAGAY andSUN
Environmental Law
Dated:- 17-5-2025
🌍 What Are Peatlands? Peatlands are powerful natural allies in the fight against the climate crisis, despite often being overlooked. Here's how they contribute: Peatlands are wetlands with a thick waterlogged layer of partially decomposed plant material (peat), built up over thousands of years. The .....

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..... y're found in many parts of the world, including boreal forests, tropical regions, and temperate zones. ✅ How Peatlands Help Fight Climate Change 1. Massive Carbon Storage * Peatlands cover just 3% of the Earth's land surface but store over 600 billion tonnes of carbon-twice as much as all the world's forests combined. * By locking away CO₂, peatlands act as carbon sinks, .....

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..... keeping greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere. 2. Slow Decomposition * The waterlogged conditions slow down microbial activity, preventing full decomposition of organic matter. * This process locks carbon in the soil for thousands of years, unlike forests, which release CO₂ relatively quickly after tree death or decay. 3. Climate Regulation * Healthy peatlands help regulate local a .....

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..... nd regional climates by maintaining moisture, humidity, and temperature balance. ⚠️ Threat: When Peatlands Are Damaged If peatlands are drained, burned, or degraded (e.g., for agriculture, forestry, or development), they become major carbon sources: * 1.9 gigatonnes of CO₂ are released annually from degraded peatlands (about 5% of global human emissions). * Fires in peatla .....

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..... nds (common in Southeast Asia) release massive emissions, cause haze, and destroy biodiversity. 💡 How to Use Peatlands in Climate Action * Conservation of Intact Peatlands * Preventing disturbance keeps their carbon locked away. * Rewetting and Restoration * Re-flooding drained peatlands stops emissions and begins the carbon-accumulation process again. * Sustainable Use (Paludic .....

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..... ulture) * Cultivating wet-loving crops (like reeds or sphagnum moss) instead of draining peat for farming helps retain ecological functions. 🌱 In Summary Peatlands = Carbon Banks. Protecting and restoring them is one of the most cost-effective and immediate natural climate solutions available.
Scholarly articles for knowledge sharing by authors, experts, professionals .....

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