Peatlands RRA is the topic of discussion at the Global Landscapes Forum
Dec 31
http://events.globallandscapesforum.org/agenda/bonn-2017/day-1/discussion-forums-3-parallel/global-peatlands-initiative/
Image
How countries can tackle devastating peatland wildfires
Theme
Today, a major wildfire in France has destroyed thousands of hectares of forest and forced many people to flee their homes. Meanwhile, dry weather, extreme heat and strong winds have combined to fan wildfires across Europe, the United States and other parts of the world over the last few weeks.
Extreme wildfires are devastating to people, biodiversity and ecosystems. They also exacerbate climate change by contributing significantly to greenhouse gas emissions.
While Europe and North America are in the crosshairs now, earlier this year, large parts of Chile and Argentina were engulfed in flames. That includes vast tracts of peatlands, key stores of carbon which, when released, feed planetary warming.
We asked Jacqueline Alvarez, head of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Office for Latin America and the Caribbean, to tell us more about the drivers of peatland wildfires and what can be done to limit their spread next year.
Explore other resources
How to monitor peatlands holistically … and practically
Sep 30
How can we tell whether peatland restoration is going well? Do we measure the water table; ask the locals about their
Zombie fires are ravaging peatlands in France
Sep 30
When Napoleon III ordered the draining of the peatlands of south-west France in 1857 (Cuzacq, 1877), he had no idea that
Standardising what we measure in peatlands research
Sep 30
To protect, restore and sustainably manage peatlands, it is necessary to develop and implement effective government