Tropical peat swamp fires in Southeast Asia are a major source of greenhouse gases, responsible for climate change; and reactive gases and aerosols, responsible for poor regional air quality affecting hundreds of millions of people. Approximately 90% of seasonal haze in Southeast Asia is due to fires burning on peatlands. This talk will explore recent developments to improve our knowledge of tropical peatland fires in the Southeast Asia region. The talk will focus on recent fieldwork expeditions and laboratory efforts in Malaysia and Indonesia to improve our knowledge of smoke emissions – central to improving seasonal haze forecasting and regional carbon accounting.

Biography

Dr Thomas Smith is Assistant Professor in Environmental Geography and a member of the Environmental Economics and Policy Cluster, a part of the Department of Geography and Environment at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Tom is a geographer and environmental scientist, specialising in interdisciplinary approaches to understanding the role of biomass burning (wildfires) in the Earth system. Tom enjoys highly collaborative research focusing on greenhouse gas and reactive emissions from wildland fires in savannas and tropical peatlands. He is particularly interested in complex interactions between agricultural practices, land degradation, fire emissions characteristics and their associated impacts. He teaches on a number of environmental courses, focussing on innovative technology-enhanced experiential learning and field-based education in geography.

Join us at 7.30pm (Singapore Time) / 12.30pm (UK Time) on Thursday 14th May. Sign up for free here - https://professionalspeakersaustralia.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_FOXBvBj_R0u3xqJHnk8U8Q