A recent study has cautioned that peatlands, crucial carbon reservoirs, are severely underprotected, and their ongoing destruction could jeopardise climate change goals.
Peatlands, which occupy only 3 per cent of the Earth's surface, hold 600 billion tonnes of carbon — surpassing the carbon stored in all the world's forest biomass combined. However, merely 17 per cent of peatlands are safeguarded worldwide. Specifically, only 11 per cent of boreal peatlands are protected, compared to 27 per cent of temperate and tropical peatlands.
The figure is in stark contrast to the levels of protection afforded to other at-risk ecosystems like mangroves (42 per cent), saltmarshes (50 per cent) and tropical forests (38 per cent).
The study published in the journal Conservation Letters February 12, 2025 revealed that at least 27 per cent of the world's peatlands are located on indigenous peoples’ lands, where these communities have protected them. Over 85 per cent of peatlands on indigenous peoples’ lands are not part of other protected areas.
Findings point to a large opportunity to increase protection, sustainable management and stewardship of global peatlands by recognising local authority, building or strengthening management institutions, advancing participation in governance of peatlands and supporting indigenous-led stewardship such as through Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas.
Countries with the most peatlands include Canada, Russia, Indonesia, the United States, Brazil, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, China, Peru, Finland and the Republic of the Congo. These 10 countries contain 80 per cent of global peatlands. And the first five contain 70 per cent of global peatlands.
Almost a quarter of the world’s peatlands are facing significant stress due to extensive drainage and degradation from commercial agriculture, forestry, mining, infrastructure development and peat extraction for fuel and horticulture. Additionally, peatlands worldwide are adversely affected by climate change.
Kemen Austin, director of science at the Wildlife Conservation Society and lead author of the study said, “The study is a real benchmark of where we are in terms of the conservation and management of peatlands globally.” “The research reveals that these ecosystems don’t have anywhere near the level of protection they need.”
The estimates of protected peatlands include Ramsar sites, which comprise roughly a fifth of protected peatlands globally and nearly two-fifths of protected peatlands in the tropics. Yet, Ramsar sites generally lack strong government commitment, evidenced by the absence of domestic legislation, legal frameworks or management plans in these sites.
Results suggest a large opportunity not only to expand protection and sustainable management of global peatlands but also to strengthen protections for peatlands, particularly in the tropics where Ramsar designation is more prevalent.
Country submissions of Nationally Determined Contributions under the Paris Agreement, National Biodiversity Strategy and action plans under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework could help catalyse actions and secure funding for peatland conservation.
The study recommended that it is crucial to include support for Indigenous stewardship to safeguard many of the world's most important peatland areas.