Arctic wetlands: time bomb or saving grace?

The document describes Arctic wetlands as critical ecosystems that store vast amounts of carbon and support biodiversity and Indigenous livelihoods. It warns that climate-driven permafrost degradation and human activities like drainage turn these areas into a 'time bomb' by releasing greenhouse gases and toxic mercury. Conversely, it argues that restoration and conservation can serve as a 'saving grace' for climate mitigation and adaptation. The briefing highlights the need for better wetland inventories and comparative analysis of management strategies to improve governance across Arctic states.

• Peatlands are the world's largest terrestrial carbon store, containing approximately one-third of all carbon stored on land.
• The drainage of peatlands contributes to climate change by causing stored peat to oxidize into carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide, while also increasing the risk of fire and causing biodiversity loss.
• Wetlands are estimated to comprise up to 60% of all Arctic ecosystems, providing essential breeding and forage habitats for fish and migratory birds, and supporting the traditional livelihoods of Indigenous Peoples.
• Climate-change-driven permafrost degradation is making Arctic wetlands drier and is expected to increase greenhouse gas emissions and the release of hazardous mercury stored from two centuries of coal combustion.
• While rewetting former peatlands may cause a temporary increase in methane emissions, the overall net effect of restoration is a significant reduction in greenhouse gases.
• Current governance of wetlands relies on the Ramsar Convention, EU Directives (such as the Water Framework and Habitats Directives), and the US Clean Water Act, but there is a critical need for more comprehensive, comparable inventories and comparative analysis of management strategies.

APA

Carson, M., Kibria, G., Löfroth, M., Macura, B., Alm, D. S., & Kalantari, Z. (2019). Arctic wetlands: time bomb or saving grace? Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/arctic-wetlands-project-brief.pdf

Chicago

Carson, Marcus, Golum Kibria, Michael Löfroth, Biljana Macura, David Schönberg Alm, and Zahra Kalantari. Arctic wetlands: time bomb or saving grace? Stockholm Environment Institute, 2019. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/arctic-wetlands-project-brief.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Carson |first1=Marcus |last2=Kibria |first2=Golum |last3=Löfroth |first3=Michael |last4=Macura |first4=Biljana |last5=Alm |first5=David Schönberg |last6=Kalantari |first6=Zahra |title=Arctic wetlands: time bomb or saving grace? |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=February 2019 |url=https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/arctic-wetlands-project-brief.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{carson2019arctic, author = {Carson, Marcus and Kibria, Golum and Löfroth, Michael and Macura, Biljana and Alm, David Schönberg and Kalantari, Zahra}, title = {{Arctic wetlands: time bomb or saving grace?}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2019}, month = feb, url = {https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/arctic-wetlands-project-brief.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }