Community-based Sustainable Peatland Management Programme
Project partner: PM.Haze
Indonesia's peatlands are critical carbon sinks, but decades of oil palm monoculture and poor water management have left them degraded and highly flammable. The severe forest fires there have resulted in frequent transboundary haze that affects millions across Southeast Asia, including Singapore.
Riau and West Kalimantan, two of the most affected regions, face escalating fire risks that threaten local livelihoods, biodiversity and public health. In addition, communities dependent on these peatlands struggle to transition to sustainable land-use practices due to resource constraints and limited access to alternative livelihoods.
NGO PM.Haze has been collaborating with local NGOs and peatland communities in Indonesia to restore and safeguard these vital ecosystems. In doing so, this project addresses the biggest transboundary issues of our time, including climate change and haze pollution. By co-developing tailored, community-driven solutions, they ensure that peatland restoration is both sustainable and beneficial to those who depend on it.
Their programme employs a two-pronged strategy combining:
Ecological Restoration: rewetting degraded peatlands by constructing and maintaining canal blocks to retain moisture and reduce fire risks, as well as revegetating degraded areas; and
Community Empowerment & Sustainable Livelihoods: actively involving the local community, equipping them with knowledge and incentives to participate in scalable and sustainable peatland management and conservation.
Outputs and Outcomes:
Six hectares of rehabilitated peatlands
11,640 saplings transplanted and 15,118 seedlings cultivated.
Three canal blocks constructed with improved groundwater levels recorded.
Two community awareness survey conducted.
Seven workshops and outreach events conducted, 36% female participants.
