Peatlands are found in almost every country of the world. Peatlands cover 4 million km² on Earth (some 3% of the land area)
(Source: Joosten and Clarke 2002)

The Assessment on Peatlands, Biodiversity and Climate Change was initiated by the project on Integrated Management of Peatlands for Biodiversity and Climate Change implemented by Wetlands International and the Global Environment Centre with the support of UNEP-GEF, the governments of the participating pilot countries (China, Indonesia, and the Russian Federation) and regions (ASEAN); as well as the Dutch and Canadian governments and a range of other organizations including APN).

Numerous experts on peatlands, biodiversity and climate change have contributed to the development of the assessment through contributing information and references and reviewing drafts.

Contributors of photograph and illustrations including Olivia bragg, Dan Charman, Hans Joosten, Richard Lindsay, Tatiana Minayeva, Faizal Parish, Marcel Silvius, Andrey Sirin and Steve Zoltai are thanked.

Reviewers: Dicky Clymo and Lindsay stringer.

Design by: regina Cheah and Andrey Sirin.

Reference Parish, F. Sirin, A., Charman, D. Joosten, H., Minayeva, T. and Silvius, M. (eds.) 2007. Assesment on Peatlands, Biodiversity and Climate Change: Executive Summary. Global Environment Centre, Kuala Lumpur and Wetlands International, Wageningen. Available from: Global Environment Centre, 2nd Floor Wisma Hing, 78 Jalan SS2/72, 47300 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia. Tel: +603 7957 2007, Fax +603 7957 7003. Web: www.gecnet.info