PEATLANDS in Southeast Asia 

The year 2021 ends with climate crisis looming with unprecedented natural disasters and extreme weather events. However, hope is still high to mitigate climate effects through various restoration and rehabilitation initiatives. Scroll down for December 2021 articles on climate change, peatland restoration and palm oil updates.  

Scroll down for updates

Review of Regional Haze Situation in ASEAN Region for December 2021

The Northeast Monsoon was observed over the ASEAN region in December 2021 and it is expected to persist until late March 2022. An increase of rainfall over the equatorial ASEAN region were observed. Meanwhile, in the northern ASEAN region, the traditional dry season sets in at the end of the year.

In December 2021, a total of 2,633 hotspots were recorded with 96% of the hotspots were detected in the Northern ASEAN region. The number of hotspots recorded are still lower compared to the same month in the previous year. Hotspot and smoke haze activity were progressively intensified over the fire-prone areas in the northern ASEAN region.
 

CLIMATE CRISIS

2021: a year of climate crisis in review

The article reviews key summits and devastating weather events happened throughout the year 2021 from January to December. 

How extreme climate conditions fueled unprecedented Colorado fire

The devastated Colorado fire in the USA was described as the most destructive wildfire in the state’s history. The rate of fire spread burned hundreds of homes which was claimed to be intensified by climate change. 

With the climate crisis, up to 65% of Balearic beaches could disappear

The Balearic Islands in Spain are likely to shape new landscape due to climate crisis, affecting tourism industry that the locals are depending on. 

Climate change a major risk to global oil and gas reserves

Risk consultancy, Verisk Maplecroft, said Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Nigeria are among the oil and gas producing countries where climate-related events will disrupt the flow of oil to global markets the highest.

Sabah Climate Change International Conference 2021

The conference was successfully held on the 14th and 15th December 2021 at Shangri-La's Tanjung Aru, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia as well as virtually through Zoom/YouTube. Themes include ecosystem and environmental change; low carbon and clean energy; resilient communities; and corporate climate powershift.

UNCOVERING PEATLANDS

The ‘idea’: Uncovering the peatlands of the Congo Basin

The Congo Basin peatlands, with a massive size of as big as England, are now relatively intact. But, worries on agriculture, oil and gas exploration and logging loom on the horizon.

Sustainable trade and peatland management for emissions reduction and community livelihoods

Although agricultural commodities pose environmental risks, they also improve livelihoods by contributing to economic development, poverty alleviation and food security. Therefore, growing and trading commodities while protecting and sustainably managing forest is crucial. 

The science of 'growing' peat

The idea of growing peat began sometime around 1658, when Martin Schoock, a professor in the Dutch city of Groningen, wrote the first book on peat asking (roughly translated), "Can this excavated combustible matter, after the course of time, be restored?"

Healthy peat soils – hidden gem for carbon storage

To ensure that peatland conservation is a success, the key step is to verify the location and extent of peatlands to allow communities and countries to effectively manage these valuable resources and their ecosystem services sustainably - The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

RESTORING PEATLANDS

For peat's sake: Study reveals benefits of restoring Indonesia's fragile peat lands

A study, led by the University of Leeds, calculated that peatland restoration efforts in Indonesia could have reduced economic losses by US$8.4 billion while also cutting greenhouse gas emissions and reducing health risks.

REDD+ project a good example to follow

Malaysia’s Sabah chief forest conservator said that there were positive indicators that the REDD+ community-based forest management project could be implemented in Sabah, Malaysia to achieve sustainable and low carbon developments state-wide.

Northern Ireland peatlands plan to be finalised in 2022

The plan aims to restore peatland across Northern Ireland (NI) by 2040 so that it is able to take in rather than emit carbon. Due to finalise in 2022, once the final strategy is published, the next step is to develop an implementation plan. 

Ramsar’s publications on peatland restoration

Ramsar Policy Briefs, Ramsar Briefing Notes and Ramsar Technical Reports are prepared by the Convention’s Scientific and Technical Review Panel. The Policy Briefs provide a set of recommendations to improve national peatland policy and financial frameworks. 

The Briefing Notes give a summary of various evaluated components in rewetting (e.g. material and design of canal blocking) and reported context for revegetation (e.g. characteristics of the peat soil and site, and growth characteristics of the vegetation species).

Meanwhile, the Ramsar Technical Reports provide comprehensive background and technical guidance for the decision-makers for considering rewetting and restoring peatlands.
 

Bringing peatlands to life

Yorkshire Peat Partnership (YPP) celebrates their achievements from the previous (2019-2020) season through annual report as they head into the new restoration season.

New hope to save Europe’s rarest passerine songbird

Pioneering translocation of aquatic warbler between Lithuanian and Belarusian peatlands marks important milestone in fight for species’ survival.

UPDATES ON THE PALM OIL INDUSTRY

Palm oil’s high yield masks environmental impact

“The problem for palm oil is that its [carbon] footprint for every hectare of land that is converted is really, really bad compared to the expansion footprint of other oils,” said Stephanie Searle, the Fuels Program Director at the non-profit International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT).

Palm oil industry has much to do on human rights compliance

The article’s author, Simone Galimberti, believes that the palm oil industry has a lot of work to do and that palm oil conglomerates need to step up and act progressively if they want to save their bottom line.

MoU signals stronger ties in HVO, palm oil between Malaysia and China

The MoU was signed between Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) and Pengerang Maritime Industries Sdn Bhd with Chinese firms marking Malaysia-China collaboration to develop hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO) to produce biofuel and biojet fuel in Pengerang, Johor, Malaysia.

The outlook for palm oil in 2022: how to invest when it's reached an all-time high

Palm oil has enjoyed an excellent year in 2021 with its price doubled over the past 18 months, especially from June to October, an incredible 50% surge. However, with a series of challenges the industry is facing, how palm oil is expected to perform in year 2022?