Menu Close

Articles on Peat fires

Displaying all articles

Indonesian fire fighters extinguish a fire in a land next to residence in Pekanbaru, Riau province on September 13, 2019. The blazes spread smog across Southeast Asia and adding to concerns about the impact on global warming. Adek Berry/AFP

New research reveals that wildfires can influence El Niño

Wildfires are intensifying, yet they’re one of the most poorly understood phenomena on Earth. New research shows that they can disturb both regional and global climate.
The United Nation Environment Program is leading the Global Peatlands Initiative to save peatlands and help keep climate change in check. (Bin Xu)

How scientists are restoring boreal peatlands to help keep carbon in the ground

Peatlands store more soil carbon than any other terrestrial ecosystem, including tropical forests. But they have been heavily exploited and damaged. Now, scientists are working to restore them.
BRG could focus on communities to support its peatland restoration efforts in the next term. ANTARA FOTO/Rony Muharrman/aww.

Indonesia’s Peatland Restoration Agency gets an extension despite failing to hit its target: what are the hurdles and next strategies?

Indonesia’s Peatland Restoration Agency is likely to have its tenure extended by four years. What has been achieved and what should the agency focus on for the next term?
As Amazon fires rage, Indonesia faces similar issues with peat fires that have been burning for several weeks in parts of Sumatra and Kalimantan. Ministry of Environment and Forestry

What it takes to put out forest fires

A forest professor tells his experience on the hardships of putting out peat fires in Indonesia
A wildfire rips through the forest near Fort McMurray on Highway 63 in May 2016. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward)

How to fight wildfires and climate change with wetlands

As unlikely as it may sound, a new approach for fighting the destruction of wildfires in Canada’s boreal region may lie in wetlands packed with soaking layers of peat and topped with living moss.
Once majestic low-lying rainforests, Indonesia’s peatlands now emit around 1 billion tonnes of CO2 a year. H Dragon/flickr

Indonesia sets a carbon time-bomb

One of the world’s major terrestrial carbon pools is rapidly deteriorating as large parts of Indonesia’s peatlands are deforested and converted to oil palm and paper plantations. No longer a carbon sink…
Could charcoal be our climate saviour? Oli R/Flickr

The charcoal challenges: fire and climate dynamics

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is co-ordinating a new venture to tackle short-lived global warming agents such as black carbon. Should we be paying more attention to black carbon? Yes…
It’s time to pay attention to warnings from the Arctic. NOAA Photo Library

Teetering on a tipping point: dangerous climate change in the Arctic

We are seeing the first signs of dangerous climate change in the Arctic. This is our warning that humanity is facing a dire future. The Arctic region is fast approaching a series of “tipping points” that…

Top contributors

More