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Title: Use Nature🍀 to Fight Climate Change
Date: 16-Jun-2021
Category: Bulletin/Newsletter
Source/Author: GEC
Description: Advocacy for nature-based solution to fight climate change is the talk of the town. Such advocacy leads to increased awareness in peatlands protection and restoration which become significant in recent years. Plus, new outlook is observed in the banning of palm oil trajectory. Scroll for updates



PEATLANDS in Southeast Asia 

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Advocacy for nature-based solution to fight climate change is the talk of the town. Such advocacy leads to increased awareness in peatlands protection and restoration which become significant in recent years. Plus, new outlook is observed in the banning of palm oil trajectory.  

Scroll down for updates
 
REVIEW OF REGIONAL HAZE SITUATION IN ASEAN REGION FOR MAY 2021  
In May 2021, inter-monsoon transition into Southwest Monsoon season were observed. There have been increased shower activities, low hotspot counts and localised haze occurrence observed over the northern ASEAN region. ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC) also issued ‘End of Dry Season for the Northern ASEAN Region’ in mid-May.

On the other hand, Southern ASEAN region is in transition from wet to its traditional dry season. Southwest Monsoon season was characterised by persistent dry conditions with high possibility for hotspot and haze to develop.

Based on surveillance by the NOAA-20, a total of 3,335 hotspots with high confidence level were detected in ASEAN region in May 2021. The hotspot count was slightly lower than the previous years in the same review period, except in Sumatra, which the hotspot count was slightly higher than last year. La Niña conditions continue to weaken and are expected to return to neutral during May-June. 
More Info On Regional Haze Situation

UN DECADE ON ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION
 
The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration aims to prevent, halt and reverse the degradation of ecosystems on every continent and in every ocean. However, there is currently insufficient support for restoration initiatives worldwide so the UN make the years 2021-2030 as the Decade for Ecosystem Restoration.  
More Info
Virtual Launch Gala - UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration
World Environment Day 2021 - Live from Pakistan
#GenerationRestoration - A Youth Call to Action

Web Forum: GEC's Ecosystem Restoration Journey
Organised in conjunction with the World Environment Day 2021, GEC shared experience on ecosystem restoration, namely in forests and river rehabilitation, through multi-stakeholder partnership, particularly with the local communities. 
Watch The Forum


CLIMATE CRISIS AND CLIMATE EFFORTS
 
Arctic warming three times faster than the planet, report warns

A report by the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP) warned that warming has continued at a rate of 30 per cent higher than in previous decades. Researcher also associates carbon dioxide and black carbon from forest fires contribute to the climate change. 
More On The Report
 
Climate emissions shrinking the stratosphere, scientists reveal

A research study found that thinning of atmospheric layer - 400 metres since the 1980s – may potentially affects satellite operations, the GPS navigation system and radio communications.
More On The Research Finding
Get The Research Study

Forests and Climate Change – “We Can’t Plant Our Way Out of the Climate Crisis”

Experts note that planting lots of trees will not work to curb climate crisis. Instead, they suggest to focus on keeping the existing forests healthy so they can continue to act as carbon sinks. 
More On The Experts View

World leaders call for action, inclusion at Seoul climate summit

The 2021 P4G Seoul Summit was held virtually from 30 – 31 May 2021. During the summit, world leaders were calling for more action and inclusion of all countries in the global drive towards a cleaner and greener planet.
Read More
More About P4G

Kelp: the unsung hero of carbon dioxide absorption

Kelp is said to absorb large amount of carbon to fuel its growth. It is estimated that kelp forests absorb carbon dioxide 20 times more than the equivalent area of forested land. 
Read More

ASEAN to receive $10bn decarbonization support from Japan

Japan seeks to contribute to global decarbonisation efforts through ASEAN including on energy-saving efforts, thermal power generation as well as realising the commercialization of a new technology to bury carbon dioxide underground.
 
More On Japan's Support

CONCERNING PEATLANDS

The how and why behind Selangor’s plan to degazette Kuala Langat North Forest Reserve

The KLNFR in Selangor, Malaysia is mostly made up of peat swamp forests and is a home to several endangered species. The Selangor State Government is planning to degazette most of the remnant for development. This degazettement will result in the loss of 8000 year old peat swamp forest that naturally storing more than 1.5 million tonnes of carbon.
KLNFR Degazettement
 
Widespread damage to Southeast Asia's peatlands confirmed in satellite study

A satellite study allows researchers to measure the damage of peatlands in Southeast Asia. The study found that 90 per cent of the peatlands examined are sinking and drying fast, increasing the risk of fires.
More About The Damage

Peatlands pose complex, poorly understood wildfire risk, researchers warn

A newly published paper in the International Journal of Wildland Fire warned critical gap in Canada between projecting the risk and behaviour of future fires to the standard assessment tools.
More About The Gap

PEATLANDS AS SOLUTION TO FIGHT CLIMATE CHANGE

Peatland restoration promises climate and biodiversity solutions

Speaking before the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action (JOCCA), researchers stressed peatland restoration as the key solution to the biodiversity and climate crisis given their widespread degradation and significant role in climate regulation.
More On Researchers' Statements

Indonesia thinks big on forest protection

Indonesia’s forest fires rage in 2015 became a wake-up call for the Indonesian government to step up their games in forest protection efforts including climate change mitigation actions. 
More About Indonesia's Efforts

Protecting our precious peat

The European Parliament has officially approved the deal with EU Member States on the new LIFE programme which will run from 2021 to 2027. The programme has been restoring 170 000 hectares of mires in the United Kingdom and 40% of Belgium's peatlands. 
More About LIFE

Climate change: New tests to see how carbon dioxide can be removed from the air

The UK government is running the biggest trial in the world to see how well trees, peatlands, rock chips and charcoal can be used to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
More About The New Test

NOTABLE VIRTUAL EVENTS
 
 
Peatland Restoration 2021

International Peatland Society (IPS) is organised a webinar “Peatland Restoration worldwide – where do we stand in 2021?” on 14 June 2021. The webinar is open to all featuring international experts presenting their views on the status of peatland restoration in 10 of the IPS member countries. 
About The Webinar

3rd Mekong Regional Land Forum

The 3rd Mekong Regional Land Forum was organised online from 26-27 May, 2021. Successfully gathered reform-minded actors from the region, the forum focused on advancing customary and collective forest tenure rights and key determining influence over smallholder tenure security within the Mekong countries.
About The Forum
Key Takeaways From The Forum

International Peatland Congress

The International Peatland Congress was successfully organised online from 3-6 May, 2021. Streamed  live from Tallinn, Estonia, the Congress conducted various sessions including “Meet the expert” sessions, popular science lectures on pre-planned topics of various general aspects of peat and peatlands etc. The organising committee are reviewing all the session recordings to make them available for on-demand watching.
About The Congress


UPDATES ON THE PALM OIL INDUSTRY

Global Palm Oil Market to Reach $57.2 Billion by 2026

Global Industry Analysts Inc., (GIA) published a new market study report presents fresh perspectives on opportunities and challenges in a significantly transformed post COVID-19 marketplace.
More On The Study

Jan-April palm oil exports in Malaysia rise 27% to RM17 billion


Malaysia’s plantation industries and commodities minister is confident to achieve palm oil export target of RM75 billion this year through its new programme of matching grants.  
Read More

WTO agrees on panel to relook EU palm oil rules

EU plans to phase out palm oil-based fuels by year 2030. Responding to this, Malaysia requested to establish a panel examining a European Union law that restricts the use of palm oil-based biofuel.
 
Read More

Malaysia supports CPOC’s objection to Belgium’s move to ban palm-based biofuel, says minister

The Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries’ (CPOPC) submitted an objection to Belgium which claimed to be inconsistent with the free trade principles as outlined by the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
More About The Objection
 
To combat climate change, EU must partner with ASEAN to tackle tropical deforestation

An in-depth analysis on “Trade and Biodiversity” by the European Parliament suggested that implementing a moratorium on deforestation to major palm oil producers is more effective and less costly. 
 
More On The Analysis
 
Events
9th World Conference on Ecological Restoration
An open for all virtual conference from 21 - 24 Jun 2021.
Find out more
Regional Peat Symposia 2021 Series 2: Peatlands Fires, Restoration, and Management
Open for registration: 17 June 2021, online.
Find out more
The 6th INAFOR – Greener Future: Environment, Disaster Resilience, and Climate Change
Conference: 7 - 8 September 2021 in Jakarta, Indonesia
Find out more
Publications
The future of Southeast Asia's tropical peatlands: Local and global perspectives

Download the publication. 
Influence of disturbances and environmental changes on albedo in tropical peat ecosystems

Download the publication.

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