PEATLANDS, CLIMATE CHANGE, POVERTY, BIOFUELS, PULP AND REDUCED EMISSIONS FROM DEFORESTATION AND DEGRADATION

Forested tropical peatlands in Southeast Asia store at least 42,000 million metric tonnes of soil carbon. Human activity and climate change threatens the stability of this large pool which has been decreasing rapidly over the last few decades as a result of deforestation, drainage and fire. This paper investigates the importance of tropical peatlands in relation to climate change and poverty issues, and looks at how specific land-use changes are contributing to this. It also identifies alternative development options. It is recommended that international action is taken to help Indonesia to improve management of the peat resources through an integrated (Bio-rights) approach of poverty reduction and peatland conservation and restoration activities. Some alternative finance mechanisms and potential risks are reviewed. THE SCIENCE BASE Indonesia was shocked in 2007 when it was found to be responsible for the third highest emissions of CO2 worldwide, mainly as a result of peatland degradation, deforestation and fires (Silvius et al., 2006; Hooijer et al., 2006, PEACE, 2007). This source of greenhouse gas emissions had until then been severely under appreciated. The new scientifi