Nationwide Ground-Truthing to Update Rwanda’s Peatland Map

Within the Peat4People project, experts from the Michael Succow Foundation, partner in the Greifswald MireCentre, in cooperation with GIZ Rwanda, trained staff from Stylos Consult in peatland mapping and ground-truthing methodologies. The activities mark an important step toward updating Rwanda’s national peatland map as a basis for climate protection and sustainable peatland management.

Following the validation of the Peat4People implementation plan in Rwanda, the next key phase has begun: building a robust, field-verified knowledge base on the country’s peatlands. 

The Michael Succow Foundation  – with support from GIZ (German Society for International Cooperation) Rwanda conducted an intensive training for national experts from Stylos Consult. The company has been commissioned by GIZ to carry out field verification, or ground-truthing, for the national peatland inventory. 

During the workshop, participants learned how to plan field campaigns, reliably identify and describe peat in the field, and collect soil samples according to international standards. The methodology follows the RAMSAR guidelines for tropical peatland inventories. 

For many of the participants, it was their first time working directly in peatland ecosystems. Interest and motivation were high, and throughout the week the team built substantial practical knowledge while immediately applying new skills in the field. 

Based on this training, nationwide ground-truthing campaigns will now be rolled out and are expected to continue until the end of 2026. The data collected will be crucial for updating Rwanda’s existing peatland map. Due to ongoing degradation, it is currently unclear in many areas whether peat is still present and, if so, in what depth. This information is essential for estimating carbon stocks and for assessing the ecological condition of peatlands. 

The training therefore lays an important foundation for future conservation, restoration and climate action in Rwanda. 

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First introducton to peat identification and general properties by MSF team during the peatland groundtruthing training in Rucahabi peatland, Ntarama, Rwanda (Photo: Michael Succow Foundation / S. Elshehawi) First introducton to peat identification and general properties by MSF team during the peatland groundtruthing training in Rucahabi peatland, Ntarama, Rwanda (Photo: Michael Succow Foundation / S. Elshehawi) Validation workshop of Peat4People project in Rwanda (Photo: David Toovey) Validation workshop of Peat4People project in Rwanda (Photo: David Toovey) Stylos Consult team carrying out a peat coring and description exercise during the peatland groundtruthing training in Rucahabi peatland, Ntarama, Rwanda (Photo: Michael Succoe Foundation / S. Elshehawi) Stylos Consult team carrying out a peat coring and description exercise during the peatland groundtruthing training in Rucahabi peatland, Ntarama, Rwanda (Photo: Michael Succoe Foundation / S. Elshehawi)