Author: Etienne Fluet-Chouinard
Project initiated by the Ramsar Regional Center - East Asia (RRC-EA)
This rapid assessment tool has the objective of providing a method to estimate carbon storage in wetland aboveground vegetation and soils (0-30cm) across the world and within individual Ramsar sites. Through this work, the role of wetland ecosystems in the context of climate change mitigation can be highlighted to support the adoption of a COP resolution recognizing this role of wetlands. This tool does not estimate the sequestration potential or rate over time, and hence does not draw on GHG and carbon flux estimates, such as those reported to UNFCCC as part of the AFOLU emissions section.
The RASC tool will draw on two primary sources: 1) geospatial maps of wetland extent and characteristics, including vegetation cover and soil properties, and 2) databases of wetland carbon content from soil core measurements. This combination of input provides a seamless global coverage, while providing estimates of wetland carbon consistent with available observations.