Carbon emissions from tropical peat deposits

Grant Agreement nr. WGP1 20 GPI 22

Agreement holder: Department of Forest Ecology, Univ.of Helsinki

Country/region: Indonesia, South-east Asia. Also high global relevance (Kyoto protocol)

Activity period: 01/08/2001 – 31/12/2001

Objectives and results:

The primary aim of the project was to fill gaps in the available information and produce a detailed database of tropical peat swamp forest natural peat ecology and carbon emissions based on detailed studies made in one representative PSF water catchment area at the upper Sebangau-river at Central Kalimantan, Indonesia.

• Measuring of greenhouse gas (CO₂, CH₄, N₂O) emissions
• To obtain detailed gas emission data from tropical peatlands to determine impacts on these emissions on sector development

Achieved:

Data concerning methane and carbon dioxide emissions from tropical peat swamp forests in pristine and degraded conditions has been published in a peer reviewed article (International Peat Journal, published by the International Peat Society) in September 2002. The manuscript in electronic form was submitted to the GPI in June 2002.

The implementation of this proposal utilised the existing strengths of partners in the EU and DCs that have been developed under activities implemented under the INCO-DC project "Natural resource functions, biodiversity and sustainable management of tropical peatland" (EUTROP, Contract No. ERBIC-18CT-98-0260).

The GPI funding enabled an international team of experts to compile additional field data, required for the publication of a peer-reviewed article on carbon storage and emissions from tropical peatlands, thus providing key scientific data for discussions under the Kyoto protocol as well as in the Ramsar convention and CBD regarding the importance of peatlands for carbon storage and sequestration. The project also contributed to the development of a joint database on tropical peatland research, a most valuable tool for other planned research and sustainable development projects on tropical peat. This database is kept in the Universities of Helsinki in Finland, and in Nottingham, UK, where it may be freely consulted by other researchers working in this field.

The GPI funding also contributed to raising of additional funding for tropical peatland research, including the development of a new EU project STRAPEAT (Strategies for implementing sustainable management of peatlands in Borneo). In addition, the output of the project contributed to the development of a proposal for a “Pilot Survey for a Finland-Indonesia development and co-operation project” financed by Finland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which is aimed to be a 3-5 year lasting project for tropical peatland ecosystem research, sustainable management of peatland and restoration of degraded lands in Borneo. The proposal is still being evaluated by the Finnish Ministry and might start in 2003.

The limited funding by the GPI thus successfully contributed to the advancement of crucial knowledge for current discussions in several key conventions, and enabled the development of two large projects financed independently by major donors.