Webinar: If forests and peatlands disappeared, would humanity survive?
Channel: Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR)
Date: 23/08/2019

The webinar will highlight the importance of forests and peatlands conservation and restoration for climate change mitigation and sustainable development. We will share how healthy forest and peatland ecosystem can play a role to combat climate change, including preventing forests fire and haze, and providing support for surrounding communities.

The webinar will also highlight Indonesia’s experience in reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation. As home to the largest REDD+ project in the world in terms of emissions reductions per annum issued, Indonesia can share its first-hand experiences on groundbreaking conservation and restoration initiatives.

Forests and peatlands are source of life for plants, animals and people. They provide food, clean water and other benefits to nearby communities, and are an essential resource for livelihoods. They are also home to many of the world’s threatened species, such as orangutans, rhinoceroses and leopards.

Nevertheless, though both are crucial in keeping life on Earth intact, they are being cleared at an alarming rate.

Draining, clearing and burning of peatlands for agriculture and other purposes is a massive source of greenhouse gas emissions globally. Meanwhile, the carbon storage potential of undisturbed peatlands is widely underappreciated. Peatlands are highly efficient carbon sinks – despite covering only 3-5% of the earth’s surface, peatlands are estimated to hold more than 30% of the world’s soil carbon stocks.