Brazzaville declaration signed to protect world’s largest tropical peatland

The Brazzaville declaration was singed to promote better management and conservation world’s largest tropical peatlands-Cuvette Centrale region in Congo Basin from unregulated land use and prevent its drainage and degradation. It was signed jointly by Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Republic of Congo and Indonesia on the sidelines of Third Partners Meeting of Global Peatlands Initiative held in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo.

Peatlands

Peatlands are wetlands that contain mixture of decomposed organic material, partially submerged in layer of water, lacking oxygen. The complex biodiversity of peatlands means they are home to variety of species. Their high carbon content makes them uniquely vulnerable to incineration if they are drained.
They are globally important carbon store. The unregulated exploitation of peatlands can potentially be detrimental to environment and to climate, as it could release carbon emissions that have been locked in for millennia.
The Cuvette Centrale region in Congo Basin is world’s largest natural tropical peatlands, which are about size of England. It stores three years equivalent of global greenhouse gas emissions.

Brazzaville declaration

It aims to implement coordination and cooperation between different government sectors to protect the benefits provided by peatland ecosystems. It also recognizes the importance of the scientific breakthrough of mapping the world’s largest tropical peatland area.

Global Peatlands Initiative

GPI is multi-partner United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) initiative launched at the Global Landscapes Forum in Marrakesh in 2016. It is effort by leading experts and institutions to save peatlands as the world’s largest terrestrial organic carbon stock and to prevent it being emitted into the atmosphere.

Month: Current Affairs - March, 2018