News

Don’t deny devastating effects of tropical peatland use!

139 scientists publish letter in Global Change Biology

06/10/2016   Following the 16th International Peat Congress (IPC) in Kuching (Sarawak), Malaysia, widely read media reported that the congress supported the view that current agricultural practices in peatland areas, such as oil palm plantations, do not have a negative impact on the environment. However, this view is not shared by many of the participants, and does not reflect the broad message conveyed by the research presented at the congress.
In an effort to correct these statements, a number of the world’s leading researchers, among them experts of the Greifswald Mire Centre, and practitioners from around the world have come together to publish a letter in Global Change Biology, one of the world’s leading environmental science journals. The 139 authors represent 115 government, academic, industry and non-governmental organizations from 20 countries. Forty of these organizations are based in Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore; the countries most directly impacted by the adverse consequences of unsustainable management of tropical peatlands.

For more information see:
English press release and open letter to Global Change Biology Denial of long-term issues with agriculture on tropical peatlands will have devastating consequences by Wijedasa LS, Jauhiainen J, Könönen M et al. (2016)