The role of paludiculture in drained peatlands and climate

change mitigation Martial Bernoux

Armine Avagyan, Maria Nuutinen, Kaisa Karttunen

Mitigation of Climate Change in Agriculture (MICCA) Programme Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)

NorBalWet side event, December 2

Outline

• Strategies to reduce GHG emissions from peatlands• FAO online collection of case studies on peatland

management practices• Paludiculture as an option of responsible management• FAO contributions in the field

Peatlands drainage leads to numerous negative consequences

Excluding fires, drained peatlands generate 10 % GHG emissions of the agriculture, forest and land use change (AFOLU) sector.

Peat subsidence at oil palm plantation

Photo: Jauhiainen Jyrki

Strategies to reduce GHG emissions

Improve fire management

Priority is to conserve intact peatlands

Rewet drained peatlands• Restore previous ecosystem• Apply climate-responsible peatlands

management

Implement adaptive management where rewetting is not possible.

Photo: Inken Preuss

There is a limited knowledge about existing climate-responsible practices which reduce GHG emissions, improve livelihood and adapt ecosystems to climate change.

FAO’s new online collection of case studies on peatlands management practices

Available at www.fao.org/climatechange/micca/89910/en

• Launched in June 2015 • 17 case studies from 9 countries

• livelihoods, • land subsidence, • greenhouse gas emissions, • water quality, • biodiversity and other ecosystem

services.

Objective: Share information about existing peatland management practices and assess their impacts on

Paludiculture - a potential practice of responsible management

Paludiculture practice - biomass cultivation on wet and rewetted peatlandsFor northern peatlands, at least 80 commercially promising species are identified (e.g. reed, Sphagnum) (FAO, 2014).• studies exist on the use of paludiculture species e.g. for construction materials

production and fuel.For tropical peatlands, at least 81 commercially viable non-timber forest product species are identified (e.g. swamp jelutung, illipe nut) (FAO, 2014).• screening and piloting is necessary for identification of socio-economic viable

options • additional livelihood diversification options are needed e.g. non-peat based

economic activities (e.g. chicken/duck/goat/vegetable/fish farming)

Fire resistant panel

PelletsBoard from reed fibres and clay

Briquets

Products developed from reed

Challenges for large scale implementation

Source: FAO, 2014

the technical challenges (low soil pressure machinery) and logistics for harvesting wet and inundated peatlands;

the development of production lines adapted to new types of biomass;

the improvement of agricultural consultation for site-adapted peatland use;

the adaptation of laws, rules and regulations that can accommodate wet peatland agriculture;

the development of payment structures (payments for ecosystem services) that adequately consider external costs and benefits.

Optimization is needed with respect to:

Take home messageConclusions and outlook

Drainage of peatlands causes high GHG

emissions and other harmful environmental

consequences.

Halt peatlands drainage and rewet already drained

areas, where possible.

For drained peatlands, responsible peatlands management practices

should be applied.

Allocate incentives and funding for research,

testing and promotion of such practices.

Sharing of knowledge related to peatland

management is important for ensuring that policy

regulations are based on clear and quantifiable scientific evidences.

FAO’s online platform provides an opportunity

for disseminating available knowledge and facilitate

discussion among stakeholders.

FAO’s contributions in the field

Knowledge products: guidebooks, submissions to the UNFCCC.Online resources

Collection of peatlands management practices Discussion group Organic soils and peatlands climate change mitigation initiative FAOSTAT emissions database for cultivated organic soils

Online database

Workshops and webinars

Support for development of funding proposals

Knowledgeproducts

Thank you for your attention

More information at: www.fao.org/climatechange/micca/peatContact: martial.bernoux@fao.org; micca@fao.org

Peatland restoration:Photo: Yoyok Wibisono provided by Susanna Tol

Case studies examples using paludicultures

Title CountrySphagnum farming for replacing peat in horticultural substrates Germany

Biomass from reeds as a substitute for peat in energy production in Grodno and Sporovo regions

Belarus

Illipe nut plantation on undrained peatland IndonesiaCultivation of Dyera polyphylla (swamp jelutung) Indonesia

EX-ACT and Peatlands

http://www.fao.org/tc/exact/en/