GLF Bonn Side Event: Lessons learned and best practices for the management of tropical peatlands: an inter-tropical dialogue

Peatlands are highly efficient carbon sinks that have been storing dead organic material for the past 15,000 years. Current development activities and climate change are however threatening to release these stored carbon deposits through droughts, drainage, land cover changes, and fire. This release has large consequences not only for climate change (increasing the atmospheric concentration of CO2) but also as a threat to economies and human health in the form of regional haze through fire.

Minister of Environment and Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia, HE Siti Nurbaya, opened the second Global Peatlands Initiative side event at the Global Landscapes Forum on 1 December – a technical exchange from experts in the field of tropical peatlands management. Siti Nurbaya gave an overview of Indonesian peat challenges and actions highlighting experiences from Indonesia, together with other actors in this country. Panel exchanges included experiences from Botswana and Peru on how governments, private sector, and research institutes currently tackle multiple challenges to sustainably managing peatlands in a changing world.

In the spirit of intra-tropical cooperation the session highlighted key lessons learned and best practices for the management of tropical peatlands with the aim to advance creative land management solutions based on practical insights, on-going activities and efforts on working toward sustainably managing their tropical peatlands.

The panel included:

• Budi S. Wardhana, the Peatland Restoration Agency of Indonesia- Badan
• Restorasi Gambut Republik Indonesia Rezal Kusumaatmadja, Katingan-Mentaya Project
• Götz Martin, Golden Agri Resources (GAR) – Oil palm. Sinar Mas Group, Indonesia
• Alberto Paniagua, Prior Executive Director, Peruvian Trust Fund for National Parks and Protected Areas
• Dennis del Castillo, Instituto de Investigaciones de la Amazonía Peruana
• Joseph E. Mbaiwa, Okavango Research Institute
• Piotr Wolski, Climate System Analysis Group, University of Cape Town

The challenges and solutions that practitioners can use to balance decision making between supporting livelihoods, supporting production, and maintaining the ecosystem services provided by these valuable ecosystems.

Press on this link or the image below to watch the full livestream recording of the side event.