Peatlands cover just 3–4% of the Earth's surface but store nearly 30% of global soil carbon. Despite their crucial role in climate regulation, these ecosystems are under significant threat from land-use change, drainage, and wildfires, turning them from carbon sinks into carbon sources. Restoring degraded peatlands is critical to combating climate change and preserving biodiversity, yet their accurate identification and monitoring remain challenging, especially in remote and vast areas.
Effective management of peatlands requires up-to-date, spatially explicit information on their extent, hydrological conditions, and vegetation health. Moreover, restoration projects need tools to monitor their progress and impact on carbon sequestration and ecosystem recovery.
Earth Observation (EO) provides a unique solution for addressing the challenges of peatland mapping and monitoring. Using data from satellites such as Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2, EO enables:
- Detection and mapping of peatland areas using spectral and radar data.
- Monitoring of hydrological conditions, such as water table depth and soil moisture.
- Tracking changes in vegetation cover, biomass, and land use over time.
- Quantifying carbon storage and emissions potential.
The integration of EO with ground-truthing data and advanced algorithms provides robust tools for understanding peatland dynamics and supporting their conservation and restoration.
