Statement on the Wise Use of Peatlands

Grant Agreement nr. WGP1 36 GPI 29

Agreement holder: International Peat Society

Country/region: Global

Activity period: 01/04/2001 – 30/06/2002

Objectives and results:

Design, publication and dissemination of the joint IPS/IMCG “Statement on the Wise Use of Peatlands”

Inform policy makers and decision takers worldwide and other stakeholders of the importance of peatlands and to promote the concept of their ‘wise use’.

Achieved:

This objective was fully achieved. Dissemination was, in addition to the publication of the English language leaflet, also carried out via the websites of the GPI partners.

The Wise Use of Peatlands statement has been widely distributed amongst decision makers (CBD CoP6, Ramsar CoP8, private sector agencies, NGOs), and has been used for formulating parts of the Ramsar resolution on the Guidelines for Global Action on Peatlands.

The project was successful in producing and widely disseminating a concise statement on ‘wise use of peatlands’ based on the thrust of the much larger ‘Wise Use Guidelines’ being prepared jointly by IPS and IMCG. This document highlights the nature and importance of peatlands and identifies problems resulting from their use and relating these to the need for mechanisms that can balance the conflicting demands on the global peatland heritage to ensure its continued wise use to meet the needs of humankind. It has made the information accessible to all English speaking target groups. GPI received also a proposal for development of the same leaflet in Spanish, French and Russian, which will be taken into consideration in GPI phase 2.