Southeast asia Peatland action plan and management initiative

Faizal Faris, . and Looi C. C., . (2004) Southeast asia Peatland action plan and management initiative. [Proceedings Paper]

The peatlands of Southeast Asia are very important natural environments providing a broad range of products as well as being important for biodiversity conservation water balance and climate regulation. Total tropical peatland are in Southeast Asia is estimated to 60 of the worlds tropical peatlands. Both the biodiversity conservation value and carbon storage function of tropical peatland is much higher than their temperate counterparts. There is need for an action plan to manage the peat resources to prevent degradation of peatland due to incidents of forest fires not only in Indonesia but throughout Southeast Asia. Restoring the ecosystem functions of extensive areas of peat swamp forest PSF burnt as a result of the forest fires must also be given priority. The Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands approved the development for a Global Peatland Action Plan in May 1999 and identified the need for urgent action to protect tropical peatlands.The following proposal is a response to this call to action and seeks to bring together agencies in Southeast Asia to work together over the next three years to develop and start implementation of a regional action plan and management initiative. The initial framework for this initiative is to develop and implement a comprehensive plan for the management of Southeast Asia peatland and associated biodiversity. Initiative will link with activities associated with related environment conventions Wetlands Biodiversity and Climate Change and will initiate management actions at key sites share experiences between countries on these effors or other successful peatland management and restoration activities. The development and implementation of a comprehensive programme for research and management of Southeast Asia peatland and associated biodiversity will look into various key issues such as biodiversity conservation and protection of key sites sustainable forest mangement prevention of peat forest fire ecological restoration issues of carbon sequestration socioeconomic uses of peatland as well as the sharing of experiences between countries on successful peatland management and restoration. Discussion of this initiative is already underway and could possibly include involvement from ASEAN the governments of Southeast Asia NGOs-international and national research insitutions and international funding agencies.

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Abstract

The peatlands of Southeast Asia are very important natural environments providing a broad range of products as well as being important for biodiversity conservation water balance and climate regulation. Total tropical peatland are in Southeast Asia is estimated to 60 of the worlds tropical peatlands. Both the biodiversity conservation value and carbon storage function of tropical peatland is much higher than their temperate counterparts. There is need for an action plan to manage the peat resources to prevent degradation of peatland due to incidents of forest fires not only in Indonesia but throughout Southeast Asia. Restoring the ecosystem functions of extensive areas of peat swamp forest PSF burnt as a result of the forest fires must also be given priority. The Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands approved the development for a Global Peatland Action Plan in May 1999 and identified the need for urgent action to protect tropical peatlands.The following proposal is a response to this call to action and seeks to bring together agencies in Southeast Asia to work together over the next three years to develop and start implementation of a regional action plan and management initiative. The initial framework for this initiative is to develop and implement a comprehensive plan for the management of Southeast Asia peatland and associated biodiversity. Initiative will link with activities associated with related environment conventions Wetlands Biodiversity and Climate Change and will initiate management actions at key sites share experiences between countries on these effors or other successful peatland management and restoration activities. The development and implementation of a comprehensive programme for research and management of Southeast Asia peatland and associated biodiversity will look into various key issues such as biodiversity conservation and protection of key sites sustainable forest mangement prevention of peat forest fire ecological restoration issues of carbon sequestration socioeconomic uses of peatland as well as the sharing of experiences between countries on successful peatland management and restoration. Discussion of this initiative is already underway and could possibly include involvement from ASEAN the governments of Southeast Asia NGOs-international and national research insitutions and international funding agencies.

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Item Type:	Proceedings Paper
Additional Information:	Summary En
AGROVOC Term:	Peatlands
AGROVOC Term:	action plans
AGROVOC Term:	Biodiversity
AGROVOC Term:	Conservation storage
AGROVOC Term:	Water balance
AGROVOC Term:	Climate
Geographical Term:	MALAYSIA
Depositing User:	Ms. Norfaezah Khomsan
Last Modified:	24 Apr 2025 05:27
URI:	http://webagris.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/16417

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