Indonesia has invited ASEAN member countries to support the International Tropical Peatlands Center (ITPC) to enhance sustainable management of tropical peatlands in Southeast Asia.
Agus Justianto, Chief Operating Officer of ITPC, stated that the ITPC serves as a platform for sharing knowledge and experiences among governments, practitioners, and stakeholders in managing carbon-rich peatlands, which are crucial for climate change mitigation efforts.
“Support from ASEAN countries, international partners, and other stakeholders will accelerate the sustainable management of tropical peatlands,” said Agus at the Twenty-Seventh ASEAN Senior Officials on Forestry (ASOF27) meeting on Friday, July 19, 2024.
The ASOF27, held from July 15-19, 2024, in Bogor, was attended by delegations from ASEAN member countries, Timor Leste, the ASEAN Secretariat, ASEAN partner countries, and international organizations.
According to the ASEAN Peatland Management Strategy 2023-2030 document, the total area of tropical peatlands in ASEAN is 27.4 million hectares.
The largest tropical peatlands in ASEAN are found in Indonesia and Malaysia, with 24.6 million hectares and 2.5 million hectares, respectively. The remaining peatlands are distributed across Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.
The peatland area in ASEAN is estimated to constitute 27-41% of the world’s total peatlands. ASEAN’s peatlands play a significant role in biodiversity conservation, carbon sequestration, climate change mitigation, and water supply.
Agus highlighted the current challenges in managing tropical peatlands in ASEAN, including degradation due to drainage, forest and land fires, biodiversity loss, conversion, and climate change vulnerability.
The ITPC network as a Center of Excellence in tropical peatland management is continuously expanding. “Currently, there are about 2,000 experts from various countries in ITPC,” Agus said.
The ITPC was initiated by Indonesia, the Republic of Congo, and the Democratic Republic of Congo on October 30, 2018, inspired by the Brazzaville Declaration for strengthening global peatland management. The ITPC is headquartered in Bogor, West Java. Peru is also a member of ITPC. ***
