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Terrestrial Program

Peatland Conservation

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Koran River The camp for peatland restoration that monitors the flora and fauna in Sebangau National Park, Central Kalimantan Indonesia. © Markurius Sera

Protecting and restoring Indonesia’s peatland is the key to achieving the country’s emissions reduction target by 2030

Peatland ecosystems are critical for carbon storage and provide a broad array of ecosystem services, including habitat for biodiversity, water regulation, and pollution control.

Muara Siran's Peatland Ecosystem One-third of the total peatland area in East Kalimantan can be found in Muara Siran. The inland peat swamp ecosystem is unique and unspoiled, and provides high ecosystem services for people, biodiversity and climate.

Indonesia is a critical hotspot for peatlands, home to about a third of total tropical peatland areas. Peatland ecosystems are critical for carbon storage and provide a broad array of ecosystem services, including habitat for biodiversity, water regulation, and pollution control. Nevertheless, degraded and drained peatlands are estimated to emit 1.9 Gigatonnes of CO2e annually, equivalent to 5% of global anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), exacerbating the impacts of climate change. Thus, rewetting peatlands is required to restore the hydrological functions of degraded peatland ecosystems and revert them to carbon sinks from carbon sources.

Protocol for Measuring Soil Greenhouse Gas Fluxes

Studi terkait emisi GRK penting dilakukan untuk memperkuat pengetahuan dan basis data, khususnya di gambut tropis.

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Peatland contributes up to 74% of Indonesia's total Natural Climate Solution (NCS) mitigation potential (Novita et al. 2024). Protecting and restoring Indonesia’s peatland is the key to achieving the country’s emissions reduction target by 2030. In Kalimantan Island, Indonesia, tropical peatlands with area of 5.4 million hectares exhibit remarkable carbon storage capabilities. These peatlands can reach depths of up to 6 meters, storing an impressive among of 3000 MgC per hectare. In some remote upstream locations, the peat can even extend to depths of 10-18 meters, harboring more than 6000 MgC per hectare. The immense carbon reservoir contained within these peatlands is crucial for understanding global carbon dynamics and their role in climate change mitigation efforts. West Kalimantan is among the five top provinces other than Central Kalimantan, Riau, South Sumatra, and Papua, with the largest opportunity.

The main strategies to achieve the 2030 goals:

  1. Advancing science on tropical peatlands in particular on carbon and GHG emissions to improve MRV system on avoided peatland degradation and restoration

  2. Implementing community-based peatland conservation programs using SIGAP approach and deploying viable economic alternatives for sustainable peatlands management

  3. Improving governance systems to create effective coordination and implementation strategies amongst relevant stakeholders at the Peat Hydrological Unit (PHU) level, including sub-national government, local communities, and private sectors

  4. Enhancing peatland restoration efforts through canal blocking installation, reforestation programs, and improved local livelihood as a strategy to fire mitigation

  5. Assessing the impact of peatland conservation program for monitoring, evaluation, and learning process for better peatland management

  6. Assisting Peatland and Mangrove Restoration Agency (BRGM) to evaluate the impact of rewetting from several land cover types in Jambi

Our science on peatlands

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Muara Siran, Home of the Deep Peatland which Continues to Grow

Muara Siran Village has peatlands consisting of lakes and forests. Muara Siran residents no longer cut down peat forests, which can help maintain the peat's natural condition.

Addressing Climate Change Challenges through Peatland Restoration

Peatlands have a carbon storage capacity 10 to 13 times greater than other ecosystems. In addition to being one of the natural climate solutions, peatlands can also enhance community well-being.

It is a canal in the peatland ecosystem. Photo Taken 2022-05-31

The Urgency of Protecting Wetlands for a Sustainable Life

The size of the wetland ecosystem in Indonesia is an important asset in a more effective and low-cost nature-based climate change mitigation effort.

Peatland restoration practitioners are keeping an eye on carbon and methane emissions that are naturally produced by all wetlands.

Tropical Peatlands Have a Major Role in Climate Change Mitigation

The results of studies by ten local and international experts regarding the role of tropical peat ecosystems and efforts to protect them for climate change solutions.