Unless Malaysia rapidly changes its approach and better protects and restores peatlands , it will be hard to meet the country ’ s target for carbon neutrality by 2050 , as announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob in Parliament on Sept 27 .

Malaysia ’ s 2.56 million hectares ( ha ) of tropical peatlands form a critical buffer against flooding during the wet season and insurance against drought in the dry season , being a crucial habitat for diverse and endangered flora and fauna .

Peatlands are an essential ecosystem for carbon storage to regulate the global climate . However , damaged peatlands release greenhouse gas ( GHG ) into the atmosphere contributing to global climate change .

Tropical Catchment and Research Initiative ( TROCARI ) 1 Founder and Principal Investigator Dr Stephanie Evers pointed out peatlands were one of the most important ecosystems for carbon storage . But these carbon stores are affected by drainage and fires , releasing

Peatlands are an essential ecosystem for carbon storage to regulate the global climate . However , damaged peatlands release greenhouse gas ( GHG ) into the atmosphere contributing to global climate change .”

significant amounts of GHG in Malaysia . Recent work has indicated that drained peatlands can release 40 to 100 tonnes of carbon dioxide per ha annually , much higher than the figures used earlier for estimating and reporting GHG emissions in Malaysia .

Drainage , peatland conversion lead to 40-100 mt of CO2 emissions annually

With more than a million ha of peatlands developed for agriculture and oil palm , the annual emissions from drained peatlands are between 40 and 100 million tonnes of carbon dioxide , which is equivalent to 17-38 per cent of the total GHG emissions by Malaysia in 2019 .

Unless these emissions are correctly controlled or reduced , Malaysia will not meet its ambitious emission reduction targets .

Dr Evers said this during the Virtual International Greentech & Eco Products Exhibition & Conference Malaysia ( IGEM ) 2021 Conference Session .

The Conference Session titled GHG Emissions from Peatland Management In Relation To Malaysia ’ s Commitment under the Paris Agreement on Climate Change was organised by Global Environment Centre ( GEC ) and the Malaysian Green Technology Corporation ( MGTC ).

Fellow panellist Dr Mohd Shukri Mat Ali @ Ibrahim , Director of the Agrobiodiversity and Environment Research Centre ( BE ) of the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute ( MARDI ), highlighted MARDI ’ s research in Saratok , Sarawak identified peat fires as another major problem and source of CO2 emissions .

It is one of the five sources of carbon loss under agro-ecosystems in Malaysia . The other primary sources / drivers are land-use change , drainage , crop type and temperature .

Dr Shukri acknowledged in the past , information on CO2 emissions in agricultural peatlands in Malaysia was grossly lacking and not given due attention .

Hence , he said MARDI embarked on research on agricultural activities related to sustainable peatlands since 2001 at MARDI Saratok in Sarawak , the institute ’ s central peat research station , to identify factors in CO2 emissions in tropical peatlands .

Sustainable farm management practices , policies key to mitigating carbon loss

While the current scenario shows portions of peatlands have been cultivated with various crops and technologies , Dr Shukri said :