3.4. PEATLANDS (in Chapter 3: Soil)

Peatlands are among the most concentrated terrestrial carbon stores, containing about 644 GtC, or 21% of global soil organic carbon (SOC). This is nearly double the carbon stored in all forest biomass worldwide. Despite covering only 3% of Earth’s land surface, peatlands are critical carbon reservoirs, mainly located in boreal and temperate regions, with smaller areas in the tropics. When drained for agriculture or other land uses, peatlands release large amounts of CO₂ and N₂O due to microbial decomposition. Current degraded and cultivated peatlands are projected to cumulatively emit 80.8 Gt of carbon and 2.3 Gt of nitrogen over the coming centuries, equivalent to contemporary annual emissions of 1.91 (0.31–3.38) GtCO₂e. Protecting peatlands is therefore vital for climate mitigation.

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