Activity
Participation in the Second International Symposium on the Peatland Restoration for Climate Change Mitigation and Livelihoods’ Goals
On June 22nd, our interns, Mael Testud-Couedic, Marcel Thiel and Magdalena Winkler participated in the Second International Symposium on the Community-based Peatland Restoration at the Westin Chosun Hotel in Seoul. The HSF delegation furthermore included senior researcher Dr. Hyun-Ah Choi and project manager Minjae Baek. On this occasion, the HSF members have been able to listen to various speakers who highlighted the importance of community-based approaches to peatland restoration.
One of the key topics discussed was the restoration of peatlands in the Indonesian region. The southeast asian country is home to the largest tropical peatland area globally and has faced significant challenges in conserving and restoring these critical ecosystems. The symposium showcased successful case studies from Indonesia, highlighting innovative techniques and strategies employed by local communities and organizations to restore degraded peatlands.
The topics were very diverse and included: Assessing ecosystem services for potential forest and peatland restoration projects in the South Sumatra and Jambi provinces, project expansion strategy for improving the effectiveness of peatland restoration, Green ODA (Official Development Assistance) through the SCORE research project, restoring degraded peatland in South Sumatra through a community-based agro-silvo-fishery system*.
Each of these topics explored different aspects of land restoration, ranging from evaluating ecosystem services to developing strategies for project expansion and involving local communities in restoration efforts.
Our interns found the symposium to be an enriching experience, as they gained valuable insights into the complex issues surrounding peatland restoration and climate change mitigation.
* The method of "agro-silvo fishing" is based on planting mangroves in ponds (for fish and shrimp farming, among other things).