Peatlands offer natur-based solution to climate change in Uganda

As part of the current Water and Environment Week in Uganda, the focus of an event on March 20 was on peatlands - as ecosystems with great potential for nature-based climate protection. Jan Peters, Managing Director of the Succow Foundation, discussed with Margaret Athieno Mwebesa and Lucy Iyango from the Ugandan Ministry of Water and Environment, Prof. Moses Isabirye from Busitema University, Elisabet Rams Beltran from the FAO and the coordinator of the UN Global Peatlands Initiative, Dianna Kopansky, why peatlands are so important in Uganda and worldwide. Innovative solutions such as paludiculture, the wet cultivation of peatlands, offer benefits for water and climate protection as well as for biodiversity and at the same time create opportunities for the local population to make a living in a sustainable way.  The presentation by Dr. Musonda Mumba, Secretary General of the Ramsar Convention, also underlined this conclusion: natural climate protection needs peatlands as unique ecosystems! The event was livestreamed and the recording of the exciting discussion is available here.