News

1 Mio US$ Indonesian Peat Price

Consortium with Greifswald Mire Centre wins!

02/02/2018 Spectacular news for the scientists of the Greifswald Mire Centre at today's World Wetlands Day: The Indonesian government is awarding the Indonesian Peat Prize, endowed with 1 Mio US$ - and the Greifswald Mire Centre is part of the winning research consortium.

„The price gives credit to our work at the international level. It is evidence for the consortium's capacity and a chance for research, conservation and sustainable use of peatlands in Indonesia and worldwide." said Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Hans Joosten, peatland ecologist at the Institute of Botany and Landscape Ecology at Greifswald University. In Indonesia Joosten and his team are analysing greenhouse gas emissions, mire development and land use of peatlands since 2006.
Large scale and intensive farming of palm oil and pulp wood causes large problems in Indonesia. Extensive areas were drained for these monocultures. The consequences are degradation, land loss, extremely high greenhouse gas emissions and devastating peat fires. Over the last years these fires have caused thousands of deaths and gigantic damages within the country and the neighbouring regions. The Indonesian government is fighting the climate damaging effects with an ambitious programme, of wich the Indonesian Peat Prize is a part of.