Peatland drainage – mainly for agriculture, grazing and forestry – and peat fires are responsible for almost one quarter of carbon emissions from the land use sector. Peatlands and organic soils contain 30 percent of the world's soil carbon but only cover 3 percent of the Earth's land area. Peatlands provide many important ecosystem services, including water regulation, biodiversity conservation, and carbon sequestration and storage. Through conservation, restoration and better management, organic soils and peatlands can make a substantial contribution to reducing atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations.
Peatlands: Guidance for Climate Change Mitigation Through Conservation, Rehabilitation and Sustainable Use provides information on management and finance options to achieve emissions reductions and enhance other vital ecosystem services from peatlands. A decision support tree guides users through potential options for the management of both cultivated and uncultivated peatlands.