Context:
Global Peatland Hotspot Atlas, 2024 released.
Global Peatland Hotspot Atlas, 2024:
- Released by – United Nation Environment Programme (UNEP)
- Part of – UNEP Global Peatlands Initiative.
- Formed at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) COP in Marrakech, Morocco in 2016.
- Purpose – Evaluates the current status of peatlands worldwide and highlights the threats they face from urbanization, industrialization, land use changes, and climate change.
Peatlands:
- Terrestrial wetland ecosystems where waterlogged conditions prevent plant material from fully decomposing, leading to the accumulation of peat.
- Peat – Dead and partially decomposed plant remains accumulated under waterlogged conditions.
- Global Distribution –
- Coverage – Peatlands cover approximately 3.8% of the world’s land area.
- Locations – Found in Europe, Southeast Asia, Russia, Canada, the Andes, and the Himalayas.
- Largest Tropical Peatlands – Located in the Congo Basin.
- Types of peatlands –
| Type | Description | Distribution |
| Bog | Raised, precipitation-fed | Northern Hemisphere |
| Fen | Depression, mineral-fed | Northern Hemisphere |
| Mire | Actively accumulating peat | Various regions |
| Tropical Peat Swamp Forest | Low altitude, rainforest vegetation | Southeast Asia, Central America, South America, Africa |
| Blanket Bog | Precipitation-fed, globally rare | UK, Ireland |
- Significance of Peatlands –
- Carbon Storage – Peatlands are the world’s largest terrestrial carbon stock, storing at least 550 gigatonnes of carbon globally.
- Biodiversity – Vital habitats for rare and threatened species.
- Ecosystem Services – Regulate and purify water, minimize flooding and drought risks, and have a net cooling effect on the climate.
- Peatland Degradation –
- Nearly 12% of global peatlands are degraded.
- In India, more than 60% of peatlands are degraded.
- Threats – Agriculture, peat extraction, industrial activities, and infrastructure development.
- Conservation Efforts –
- Guidelines for Global Action on Peatlands (2002).
- UNEA-4 resolution on the Conservation and Sustainable Management of Peatlands (2019).
- Global Peatlands Initiative formed at UNFCCC COP in Marrakech, Morocco in 2016.
Source: UNEP
Previous Year Question
Consider the following pairs:
Wetland/Lake: Location
1. Hokera Wetland Punjab
2. Renuka Wetland Himachal Pradesh
3. Rudrasagar Lake Tripura
4. Sasthamkotta Tamil Nadu
How many pairs given above are correctly matched?
[UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2022 Prelims]
(a) Only one pair
(b) Only two pairs
(c) Only three pairs
(d) All four pairs
Answer: (b)
Explanation:
Option 1 is not correct:
Hokera Wetland – Jammu and Kashmir
Option 4 is not correct:
Sasthamkotta – Kerala