Author: GIZ | September 2, 2021 | Initiatives
Sustainable Use of Peatland and Haze Mitigation in ASEAN (SUPA) Component 1 Work area 2 supports state actors in the ASEAN Member States (AMS) via funds in the implementation of the ASEAN Peatland Management Strategy (APMS) and National Action Plans on Peatland (NAPPs). The funds will be allocated to AMS, except Singapore and Brunei Darussalam, through a restricted call for proposals.
In April 2021, the Department of Freshwater Wetlands Conservation of Cambodia signed a Financing Agreement with GIZ for €734,000 of SUPA funds to implement the project: Enhancing Peatland Management and Haze Mitigation in Cambodia.
About 30% of Cambodia’s territory is covered by wetlands but little is known about peatlands in Cambodia. A few studies have been carried out to assess peatlands distribution in the country, with the most recent assessments in 2014 and 2015 that identified 9,744 hectares of peatlands in the coastal mangroves, one located in the coastal mangrove of Peam Krasaop Wildlife Sanctuary and one in Botum Sakor National Park, both in Koh Kong Province. Both provide crucial habitat and maintain the water quality, mitigate from storms and prevent floods as well as sequester carbon that play an important role in climate change mitigation. Potential peatland areas may also be present in other parts of Cambodia, particularly around the Tonle Sap Great Lake and along the Mekong River, although they have not been confirmed yet. Also, carbon stock in peatlands have not been well documented in Cambodia.
In Cambodia, forest fire occurs during dry season under hot and dry weather. According to the daily hotspot density map, most land and forest fires are registered to occur in the northern part of country and around Tonle Sap Lake. One serious fire event happened in 2016 and destroyed the forest in Tonle Sap Core area for about 50,000 hectares. Mostly, the fires are induced by human-actives.
One major focus of the project is to conduct the survey of the peatlands around the Tonle Sap Lake and along the Mekong River. The survey will contribute to the collective and synergized effort with other projects to develop a first comprehensive nationwide survey peatland area map in Cambodia.
The project will also contribute to haze mitigation through restoration and rehabilitation of the inundated forest or peatlands and establishing a fire monitoring and response scheme. In addition, the project will provide capacity improvement of the site managers and rangers in the protected areas combating forest or peat fires.
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