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Action 9. Global Action Plan for Peatlands (GAPP)

The Global Action Plan for Peatlands (GAPP) has been developed by a wide partnership of organisations under the auspices of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. It is hoped that GAPP will be endorsed by the contracting parties to the Ramsar Convention in 2002.

Peatlands are recognised throughout the world as a vital economic and ecological resource, although, until recently, they have received little attention from the international conservation community. Approximately half of the World's wetlands are peatlands such as bogs, fens, swamp forests and converted peatlands. They are found in all biomes but particularly the boreal, temperate and tropical areas of the planet. Peatlands are increasingly seen to be important ecosystems contributing to biological diversity, global water issues, global carbon conservation relevant to climate change, and many wetland functions valuable to human communities. There is a wide range of threats to peatlands that in some cases require urgent national and/or international action.

The concept of the GAPP was first proposed in 1994 by the International Mire Conservation Group (Trondheim Declaration 1994 (see Appendix 9.4)). Since then the development of the GAPP has been progressed by the contracting parties to the Ramsar Convention, who recognised the under-representivity of peatlands within the area of wetlands protected under the Convention. Only 75 of the 778 Ramsar sites are peatlands (GAPP 2000).

The vision statement of the GAPP is the:
"Recognition of the importance of peatlands to the maintenance of global diversity of ecosystems and species, the conservation of carbon vital to the world's climate system, and the wise use, conservation and management of natural resources for the benefit of people and the natural environment."

The objectives of the GAPP are to:
- provide a framework for national, regional and international initiatives promoting the development of strategies for peatland wise use, conservation and management;
- Foster national, regional and international partnerships of government, private sector and non-government agencies to fund and implement actions in support of such strategies; and
- Facilitate adoption and support for implementation of the GAPP through the Ramsar Convention, the Convention on Biodiversity, the Kyoto Protocol of the Framework Convention on Climate Change and other appropriate national, regional or international mechanisms.

The GAPP identifies eight themes to further its objectives with supporting actions in each case, as listed below:

1. Knowledge of global peatland resources;
2. Peatland education and awareness;
3. Policy, management guidelines and legislative instruments;
4. Wise use of peatlands
5. Research networks and regional centres of expertise
6. Institutional capacity
7. International co-operation
8. Implementation and support.

The strength of the GAPP lies in the opportunity it provides for national government to develop an holistic strategy linking peatland conservation, protection of biodiversity and climate change considerations into one unifying plan of action.

General Objective
To campaign for the Irish Government to develop a national strategy for peatland wise use, conservation and management.

As a member of the International Mire Conservation Group, the IPCC was present at the formulation of The Trondheim Declaration which first proposed the development of a Global Action Plan for Peatlands. We have made submissions and recommendations to the draft GAPP (2000) which was launched at the Millennium Wetland Event in Québec 2000. IPCC has also made submissions to the joint International Peat Society/International Mire Conservation Group Wise Use Guidelines for Global Mires and Peatlands which is being developed in response to the GAPP.

Actions
3.9.1 The Irish Government should become a signatory to the GAPP following its endorsement by the Ramsar Convention.

3.9.2 The Irish Government should develop its own wise use, conservation and management strategy for peatlands in consultation with the IPCC and other interested parties.

3.9.3 The IPS and IMCG should formulate and publish their wise-use guidelines for peatlands.