Rewilding Peatlands, a Climate Game-Changer

Turning drained peatlands back to their natural state may help reverse climate change.

“Whether in Europe, North America, Brazil, the Congo Basin, or Indonesia, preventing peat degradation is essential for humanity if we are serious about achieving carbon neutrality by mid-century,” says Franziska Tanneberger, a peatland scientist.

For centuries, peatlands have been drained of water to be transformed into farmland to grow crops or provide animal pasture. As the water is drained and the soil begins to break down, vast quantities of CO2 are released. Recent studies suggest that drained peatlands may account for up to 5 percent of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions (more than that of the aviation industry!). When peatlands are left free from human interference, they can store hundreds of gigatons of carbon, more even than Earth’s forests can store. The solution, scientists say, is to stop draining the land and allow the water to return to its natural levels – a process many farmers are already in. In the meantime, other initiatives are underway to ensure farmers don’t lose out on their land or profit when they undergo peatland “rewetting” projects.