Identification and Mapping of Peatlands in Southern Africa (IMPESA). The first implementation project of GPI (Global Peatland Initiative) in Africa. Global Peatland Initiative (GPI) started in spring 2001 with seed funding from the DGIS (Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs) and is planned for a period of six years.

• Support and enhance the participation of developing/transition countries in the global peatland initiative on the future use of all peatlands in the world.
• Identify key peatland areas and sectoral needs in South America, Africa and China.
• Raise awareness of the function and benefits of peatlands and assess the full public and direct values of peatlands.

The main goals of the IMPESA initiative are:

• A peatland inventory followed by the identification of key peatland areas (e.g. peatlands of international importance) in southern Africa.
• Development and promotion of a network of local, national and international initiatives.

To achieve these goals, the IMPESA project runs in two phases:
Phase 1 - Framework development, resource evaluation and training (October 2001 - July 2002):

• Development of the southern African Peatland Group (SAfPG).
• Training of the SAfPG on peatland inventory and evaluation issues.
• Overview of the current status of knowledge on peatlands.

Phase 2 - Peatland inventory (January 2003 - December 2003).