Peatlands, one of the planet’s most crucial carbon sinks, are facing a crisis of protection and preservation, a new global study warns. Despite covering only 3% of the world’s land, these wetland ecosystems store more carbon than all the world’s forests combined. However, their destruction through agriculture, mining, and infrastructure development is unleashing vast amounts of carbon dioxide (CO₂), significantly contributing to global emissions.
If the emissions from degraded peatlands were counted as those of a country, they would rank as the fourth-largest polluter in the world, trailing only China, the United States, and India. Yet, the first comprehensive global assessment has revealed that only 17% of the world’s peatlands are in protected areas—a stark contrast to tropical forests (38%) and mangroves (42%).
The findings underscore the urgent need for stronger conservation efforts, as scientists emphasize the critical role of peatlands in mitigating climate change and preventing further environmental catastrophe.
Peatlands, also known as bogs, mires, fens, swamps, and muskeg, form over thousands of years as plant material slowly accumulates in waterlogged conditions. Because decomposition is slow in these oxygen-starved environments, peatlands act as vast carbon reservoirs, locking away carbon that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere.
However, when these wetlands are drained for agriculture, mining, or infrastructure projects, the stored carbon is exposed to oxygen, triggering rapid decomposition and releasing enormous amounts of CO₂. The carbon stored in the world’s peatlands is equivalent to over 50 years’ worth of current global emissions, making their preservation a top priority in the fight against climate change.
According to Dr. Kemen Austin, lead researcher of the study published in Conservation Letters, peatlands are “ultra-high-value ecosystems” that offer critical benefits beyond carbon storage. They regulate water flow, preventing both floods and droughts, and provide habitat for diverse species of mosses, flowers, birds, fish, and butterflies. However, their low levels of protection leave them highly vulnerable.
The global study revealed significant disparities in peatland protection. While an average of 17% of peatlands fall within protected areas, this coverage is significantly lower in the three nations that contain the most peatlands—Canada, Russia, and Indonesia. These countries, along with the United States and Brazil, hold nearly three-quarters of the world’s peatlands.
One notable exception is the Republic of the Congo, where nearly 90% of peatlands are technically within protected areas. However, less than 1% of these are under strict protection, highlighting the gap between official conservation status and actual enforcement.
In the United Kingdom, which ranks 12th globally in peatland area, 41% of these ecosystems fall within protected areas. While this figure is higher than the global average, an estimated 80% of UK peatlands have already been degraded due to draining, overgrazing, and burning.
The study stresses that simply designating protected areas on maps is not enough. Many of these regions suffer from weak enforcement and inadequate funding, leaving them exposed to ongoing degradation. Additionally, environmental regulations need to be strengthened to prevent further damage from commercial activities.
One of the key findings of the study is that approximately 25% of the world’s peatlands fall within Indigenous lands. Research has consistently shown that Indigenous-managed territories suffer less environmental degradation than other areas. Strengthening land rights for Indigenous communities could therefore be a cost-effective and socially just strategy for protecting peatlands.
The inclusion of peatlands in carbon credit markets has also been suggested as a potential funding mechanism for their preservation. However, experts caution that such schemes must be carefully managed to ensure that local communities benefit and that carbon offset programs genuinely contribute to emissions reduction rather than enabling continued pollution elsewhere.
The carbon in peatlands has accumulated over hundreds to thousands of years, making it irreplaceable within timeframes relevant to climate change mitigation. Once disturbed, peatlands become long-term carbon emitters, continuing to release CO₂ for decades or even centuries. This is why scientists often refer to peatlands as a “carbon bomb”—once ignited, the emissions are nearly impossible to stop.
However, because peatlands are among the most carbon-dense ecosystems on Earth, protecting and restoring them offers significant environmental benefits for relatively low costs. According to Dr. Austin, the “bang for the buck” in conserving peatlands is extraordinarily high, making them one of the most effective tools in the fight against climate change.
The urgency of protecting peatlands is underscored by worsening climate impacts. Heatwaves, droughts, and wildfires—made more frequent by climate change—are threatening the viability of these ecosystems, creating a vicious cycle in which climate change degrades peatlands, leading to further CO₂ emissions and more climate change.
Peatland protection and restoration must be prioritized in national climate and biodiversity strategies. In 2025, countries will submit updated climate and biodiversity plans to UN bodies, providing a critical opportunity to include peatland conservation in global environmental policies.
Scientists and environmentalists are calling for increased funding for peatland conservation, stricter environmental regulations, and expanded protected areas. They also highlight the need for better peatland management, even in regions where land is used for agriculture. According to Prof. Chris Evans of the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, reducing drainage depths in farmed peatlands could cut global emissions by 2% while allowing continued agricultural use.
To effectively safeguard the world’s peatlands, experts recommend the following actions:
- Expand Protected Areas: Increase the proportion of peatlands under legal protection, ensuring that conservation status translates into actual enforcement on the ground.
- Strengthen Indigenous Land Rights: Recognize and empower Indigenous communities in peatland management, as their lands have lower levels of environmental degradation.
- Improve Peatland Management in Agricultural Areas: Reduce drainage depths and adopt sustainable farming practices to limit CO₂ emissions from already-degraded peatlands.
- Increase Funding and International Support: Allocate more financial resources to peatland conservation, restoration, and research, including integrating peatlands into carbon markets where appropriate.
- Raise Public Awareness: Educate policymakers and the public on the importance of peatlands, as they are often overlooked compared to more visually striking ecosystems like rainforests.
- Integrate Peatlands into Climate and Biodiversity Strategies: Ensure peatlands are included in national and international climate commitments, particularly in the upcoming 2025 UN climate negotiations.
The world’s peatlands are at a critical juncture. While they are among the most valuable ecosystems on Earth, their protection remains dangerously low. Without immediate action, the destruction of peatlands will continue to drive catastrophic climate change, releasing vast stores of CO₂ that have been locked away for millennia.
But there is hope. Protecting and restoring peatlands is one of the most cost-effective and impactful ways to reduce emissions and safeguard biodiversity. With stronger conservation efforts, better policies, and increased global awareness, we can prevent the carbon bomb from exploding—and ensure that peatlands continue to provide their invaluable benefits for generations to come.
