JYVÄSKYLÄ, Finland - Thursday, September 1st 2011 [ME NewsWire]
(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The International Peat Societyhas launched a Strategy for Responsible Peatland Management, which for the first time defines objectives and actions for the conservation, management and rehabilitation of mires and peatlands globally, based on the principles of Wise Use.
Donal Clarke, President of the IPS, explains: “The Strategy is applicable to all types of peatland under every use – including non-use – and it is directed to everyone responsible for or involved in the management of peatlands, or in the peat supply chain.” Peatland management should be appropriate to the peatland type and use while respecting cultural, environmental, and socio-economic conditions.
The overall purpose of the Strategy is to improve standards and increase knowledge of responsible peatland management. The principal aims are to ensure that high conservation value peatlands are identified and conserved, utilised peatlands are managed responsibly and drained or otherwise degraded peatlands are rehabilitated.
The Strategy sets out key objectives and specific actions for biodiversity, hydrology and water regulation, climate and climate change processes, economic activities, after-use, rehabilitation and restoration, human and institutional capacity and information dissemination and engagement of local people and good governance.
Globally, peatlands cover an area of 4 million square kilometres in 180 countries, which equals 3% of the Earth’s land surface. The majority of the global peatlands (3.4 mill km2) are still in a near natural condition, are valuable habitats for wildlife and biodiversity and many are managed as nature reserves.
Peatlands are used for agriculture (300,000 km2), forestry (150,000 km2), growing media production (2,000 km2) and energy generation (2,000 km2), mostly in the northern hemisphere. Around 120,000 km2 have been drained in tropical regions for a variety of purposes, but especially for plantations of oil palm and paper pulp trees.
The Strategy was formulated during a two-year consultation process involving a broad range of mire, peat and peatland stakeholders. These included scientific experts, peatland managers, private sector companies and environmental NGOs.
The International Peat Society(IPS) is a non-governmental and non-profit organisation of scientific, industrial and regulatory members. It aims at bringing people and organisations together to foster the advancement, exchange and communication of knowledge on all aspects of peatlands and peat. The IPS has 1450 members in 36 countries. The Strategy for Responsible Peatland Management is available at www.peatsociety.org.
Contacts
Donal Clarke, President,
Phone: +353-862-553-806
Susann Warnecke,
Communications Manager,
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