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Edges of peatlands, usually along rivers, have a long history of human settlement. Peatlands are a challenging place to live, but provide a range of products and income sources, including agroforestry, tree and forest domestication (paludiculture). With the current focus on rewetting, revegetation and revitalization, options for local livelihoods still appear to be an afterthought […]

Forest and peatland fires, which occur on an annual basis in Indonesia, affect the entire Southeast Asian region and result in extensive environmental destruction as well as threats to livelihoods. In particular, the displacement of massive pollution – a brown cloud consisting of fire-born particles mixed with industrial pollution – over Singapore, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia […]

Drawing on experience and perspectives from members of the Asia Pacific Rainforest Partnership (APRP) Private Sector Roundtable (PSR), the panel discussion will focus on the role of the private sector in identifying durable solutions for the use, management, conservation and restoration of peatlands while considering economic, environmental and social benefits. A moderated discussion will explore […]

The earth is crispy around here. Crunch, crunch, crunch—my every footstep made a crackling sound like a rustling bag of potato chips. Underneath the crunchy stuff was something almost fluffy. “It is the dried peat,” Nizar told me. He’s been working in this area for decades, acrobatically transitioning between the local community, government and private […]

“We are fighting for our land in our homeland,” explained Emmanuela Shinta as she approached the front of the stage proudly at the Global Landscapes Forum: Peatlands Matter event in Jakarta, May 18th 2017. Shinta brought along the stories from the ground all the way from the western part of Borneo, to Jakarta, the busiest […]

By Gabrielle Lipton, originally posted on Forests News Indonesia – The sky turned yellow just before the 2015 peatland fires reached their height in Kalimantan, Indonesia. Then it turned dark, like a phantom’s mask covering the island of Borneo with thick, humid brown haze. The particles in the air were so dense that people’s eyes […]