Why does peat matter?

Peatland ecosystems play an unmatched role in regulating our climate; however, the drainage and burning of peatlands is turning these vital carbon stores into a major carbon emitter. Earlier this month, a Guardian article highlighted the dangers of neglecting these “ultra-high-value ecosystems”, warning that their continued drainage and destruction will ignite a “carbon bomb”, blowing global climate targets. As scary as that sounds, the bomb can be defused; we can reverse the damage and keep peat carbon where it belongs, in the ground.

The problem

We’ve been working in Borneo’s tropical peat swamp forests for 25 years, so we know a thing or two about peatland restoration. Drainage is the main driver of peatland degradation, exposing the peat and leaving it vulnerable to fires. This is true even for protected areas like the Sebangau National Park, our primary field site in southern Borneo, where a legacy of illegal logging continues to cause problems even 20 years after being granted protected status. The loggers are long gone, but a vast network of canals that once allowed them to float timber out of the forest remains, draining the peat and stripping it of its natural protection against fire. But we aren’t sitting idly by whilst the peat swamp dries up and disappears—we have a plan: dams.