Clifton BainDirector, IUCN UK Peatland

Programme

Commission of Inquiry on UK Peatlands Patrons from Science, Policy & Practice:

Lord Lindsay, Sir Graham Wynne, Prof Andrew Watkinson Core Panel & Advisory Committee

“Investing in Peatlands” Conferences 2010, Durham: The Climate Challenge 2011, Stirling: Funding for Peatlands 2012, Bangor: Delivering Restoration

Website: www. iucn-uk-peatlandprogramme.org Partner Initiatives Communicate Key Findings

IUCN UK Peatland Programme

• At a global scale peatlands store about the same amount of

carbon that is present in the atmosphere.

• ~500 Pg in peatlands

• Loss of 1.6% of peatland C = total annual human C emissions

• Loss of 0.6% of peatland C = total annual increase in atmospheric CO2-C

•In the UK, peatlands cover approximately 15% of the land area.

Peatland Ecosystem Services• Biodiversity, sport and leisure• Climate change mitigation and adaptation• Water quality and supply

Sphagnum building blocks

RSPB Forsinard Reserve Blocking Hill Drains

% bare peat

% Sphagnum

Data J.Holden Defra SP0572

Water

Around 70% of the water sources used for public water supply, derive from the uplands of Britain.

Restoring peatlands could lead to improved raw water quality and result in a range of benefits.

Carbon and Cost: Reduced power and chemical costs for treatment processes resulting from extending the cleaning / replacement cycles. Could also result in reduction in capital maintenance spend.

Water Quality: Improvement to (or reduce the risk of further deterioration of) the raw water quality envelope especially preventing peak conditions for colour, turbidity and TOC - it is also likely to improve stability of disinfection.

Biodiversity

• unique & specialised• part or full life cycle• sensitive to pollution, management & climate change

Couwenberg et al (in revision) Hydrobiologia -

Moors for the Future

Black Hill 2005

Moors for the Future

landscape scale restoration

Black Hill 2008

Forest planting