Tucked away in the high latitudes and mist-laced valleys of the world, peatlands are among Earth’s most effective climate regulators despite a lack of public attention.

Peatlands are rich in carbon

These waterlogged landscapes, where layers of dead plant material have built up over thousands of years without fully decomposing, are anything but barren or lifeless. They are slow-growing, deeply layered, and contribute to climate mitigation on a large scale. Peatlands store 30% of the world’s carbon – twice as much carbon as all the world’s forests combined – despite occupying just around 3% of the planet’s surface.

Peat is formed when saturated, oxygen-poor conditions inhibit microbial activity, preventing plant matter from fully breaking down. This forms a dense, dark, spongy substrate rich in stored carbon. But once drained or disturbed, peatlands flip from carbon sink to source. 

Drained peatlands contribute around 5% of global greenhouse gas emissions, mostly in the form of carbon dioxide and methane. And yet, peatland degradation rarely features in climate policy conversations, especially in the Global South. 

Beyond carbon sequestration, peatlands provide a suite of ecosystem services that are increasingly important in our warming world. They regulate water flows, acting as natural sponges that absorb rain and release it slowly, reducing the severity of both floods and droughts. Their dense vegetation and saturated soils filter and purify water while also offering habitat to rare and endangered species, from the Sumatran tiger to endemic orchids. 

In many parts of the world, peatlands hold deep cultural and spiritual significance, serving as sacred landscapes or seasonal grazing grounds, adding another dimension to their perceived usefulness. In Thailand, the spirit Pu Ta is thought to live in peat swamps. To avoid offending the spirit, people do not disturb the peatland. 

Where are peatlands found?

Globally, peatlands are found in boreal and subarctic zones –  in countries like Russia, Canada, and Finland – but also in the tropical lowlands and montane regions of countries like Peru, the Congo, and Papua New Guinea, according to the 2022 Global Peatlands Assessment.

Peatland ecosystems are incredibly diverse, ranging from blanket bogs and raised mires to swamp forests and tropical peat domes, each supporting a unique suite of plant and animal life adapted to wet, acidic, and nutrient-poor conditions.

Peat beneath our feet: Congo Basin peatlands  

Image credit: Peatlands constitute a wide swath of the Congo Basin’s forest floor. Image by Daniel Beltra / Greenpeace, provided to Greenauve.

The world’s largest contiguous peatland falls in the Congo Basin beneath intact tropical forest. The Cuvette Centrale peatlands in the Congo Basin cover 145,529 square kilometres and hold an estimated 30 billion tonnes of carbon, 20 times more than the USA released in fossil fuel emissions last year. 

Scientists believe this peat reservoir started forming around 10,600 years ago. Their remote location has helped preserve them so far, but logging and oil exploration pose emerging threats. A 2021 agreement between the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and donor countries under the Central African Forest Initiative aims to protect these peatlands while supporting local livelihoods, underscoring the role of international cooperation in safeguarding intact carbon sinks.

From peat to paddy: Indonesia’s Central Kalimantan peatlands 

Image credit: A typical peat swamp forest. Image by Chee Yoong, provided to Greenauve.

Southeast Asia has the world’s largest extent of peatlands, spanning over 5% of the region’s land area. Most peatlands in Southeast Asia are found in Indonesia (approximately 20.7 million hectares), followed by Malaysia (around 2.6 million hectares). 

Indonesia’s Central Kalimantan province holds some of the largest tropical peat domes in the world. Here, efforts like the Peatland Restoration Agency’s rewetting initiatives have targeted degraded areas for rehydration using canal blocks and community-led reforestation. 

Currently, the Central Kalimantan Peatlands Project is undertaking long-term efforts in the region to protect the remaining peatlands from conversion to paddy fields. 

Despite challenges, these interventions have begun to reduce fire frequency and promote native peat forest regeneration, offering a model for sustainable peatland management. 

Peat along the peaks: India’s hidden peatlands  

Image credit: Khecheopalri, a peatland in Sikkim in Northeast India’s lower Himalayan belt. Image by Nakul Chettri, provided to Greenauve.

Most of India’s peatlands are nestled along the upper regions of river basins or watersheds of the Indian Himalayas, according to a January 2025 report by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit in partnership with Wetlands International – South Asia. 

The extent of Indian peatlands in the Himalayas is nearly 260,000 hectares, 0.4% of the region’s total area, and are concentrated from altitudes of 1,500 m to 4,000 m. Most occur within rangelands and high-altitude wetlands such as Khecheopalri, a peatland in Sikkim. Classified as temperate peatlands, these regions contain India’s highest carbon stocks, making them critical in the fight against climate change. 

Threatened despite their many services

The largest threat to peatlands globally is drainage, which threatens nearly 65 million hectares of global peatland area. 

Unsustainable harvesting and overgrazing are some of the other threats to peatlands in growing nations. “In Malaysia, the biggest threats to peatland habitats are peat fire and drainage from ex-logging,” says Wai Pak Ng, Biodiversity Manager at Enggang (Pekan) Sdn Bhd. In Indonesia and Borneo, burning and mining for fuel are major threats to peatlands, impacting native species. 

For example, the decline of the Bornean orangutan population by 60% over 60 years is largely attributed to the loss of peat swamp habitat, resulting in the species being listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. 

How can we protect our remaining peatlands? 

Protecting peatlands requires a two-pronged approach: halting degradation and actively restoring these ecosystems. This begins with ending harmful practices such as agricultural conversion and drainage, which disrupt the waterlogged conditions essential for peat formation and long-term carbon storage. 

Restoring peatlands by rewetting them is not only scientifically proven to be the only land-based solution for indefinite carbon sequestration but is also cost-effective in the long run. While some short-term emissions may occur during restoration, these are far outweighed by the long-term climate benefits. 

A critical barrier to peatland conservation lies in how peatlands are defined. Varying definitions across countries often prioritise economic utility over ecological value, excluding significant areas from protection. Definitions must urgently shift to prioritise conservation, restoration, and sustainable use, especially considering the biodiversity and climate crises. 

Mobilising public and private finance through tools like carbon markets, green bonds, and ecosystem service payments is key to protecting peatlands and generating green jobs. Globally, institutions like the UNEP, FAO, and Ramsar Convention have already committed to peatland-related goals, including mapping their distribution, monitoring emissions, investing in restoration and rewetting, and supporting local communities.

Continued international cooperation, knowledge sharing, and inclusive strategies that empower communities on the ground are vital to ensure peatlands are not just protected but are actively valued for their myriad ecosystem services, both tangible and intangible.