Strategy for conservation and wise (sustainable) use of peatlands

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Strategy for conservation and wise (sustainable) use of peatlands

February 2, 2016

Strategy for concervation and wise(sustainable) use of peatlands

Belarus has 863,000 ha of natural or close to natural peatlands, including 540,000 ha of lands with a special protection areas status. 323,000 ha needs special protection regime to be introduced. International protection status have 314,000 ha of peatlands.

Annually 863,000 ha of Belarus’ peatlands lock away from the atmosphere around 900,000 tons of CO2 and release 630,000 tones of O2. Belarus’ peatlands store around 500 mln tons of carbon dioxide.

Main challenges in preservation and sustainable management of peatlands:

- Damage to peatlands hydrological regime imposed by drainage and forest reclamation systems on the territory of 516,000 ha.

- Overgrowing of open fen mires with trees and shrubs.

- Peat excavation activities on natural or close to natural peatlands.

- Plowing of around 318,100 ha of peatlands for crops.

- Peat fires.

When damaged peatlands produce less benefits

-  12 times excess of peat expenditure over its growth — annual loss of peat is 12.8 mln tones, annual growth only 1.04 mln tones.

-  Annual CO2 emissions from peatlands is 16.7 mln tones, annual CO2 absorption is only 0.9 mln tones.

Key principles of the current Strategy:

- Special protection status for natural or close to natural peatlands.

- Peat excavation only on deposits where preoperational activities were done.

 Management of drained peatlands using approaches that ensure minimal loss of organic matter and preservation of a soil fertility.

- Ecological rehabilitation of damaged peatlands, the further effective use of which is impossible.

The implementation of the current Strategy is envisaged along following directions:

-Improve peatlands’ record keeping system.

- Ensure protection and sustainable management of peatlands, preserved in a natural or close to natural condition.  

- Manage sustainably specially protected nature areas, rare and typical biotopes.

- Boos ecological tourism.

- Ensure efficient use of vegan biomass.

- Conduct ecological rehabilitation of damaged peatlands (not less than 15 percent from the area of all degraded peatlands).

- Ensure optimal use of drained lands with peat soil for agriculture.

- Prevent peatlands pollution from agricultural fields flows.

- Make peat extraction activities “green”.

The main ways for peatlands management during the 15 years period:

- Preservation in a natural condition of peatlands that require special protection status.

- Conservation of peat deposits and peatlands included into the valuable peat stock.

- Use of peatlands for peat extraction from the exploiter stock.

- Use of peatlands, included into land stock, for agriculture, forestry and other types of economic activities.

Expected outcomes of the Strategy’s implementation in Belarus by 2030:

684,000 ha of peatlands are preserve in a natural condition. 179,000 ha of peatlands are explored and measures for their conservation designed.

Restoration of not less than 15 percent (around 75,000) of total damaged peatlands.

Conservation of 7 billion m3 of clean water and sustainable water regulation management for rivers and lakes.

Conservation of around 500 mln of CO2 in peatlands.

Around 900,000 tons of CO2 locked up 630,000 tons of O2 released.

Rare wildlife species preserved.

Ensure annual cranberry harvests up to 10,700 tones.

Approaches towards efficient use of biomass are developed and implemented.

Technology for accelerated renaturalisation of degraded open fen mires is developed and implemented.

Preservation of reproduction centres for game species.

Development of ecological tourism aimed at recreational potential of peatlands.

Optimisation of agricultural lands structure by increasing a proportion of perennial meadows up to one million ha.

Sustainable management of peatlands damaged by forest reclamation.

15 percent decrease in peatlands with high risk of peat fires status.

 
 
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