Drought and peatland fires in Indonesian Borneo: Understanding drivers and impacts to build resilience through sustainable development
Lead Research Organisation:
UNIVERSITY OF EXETER
Department Name: Biosciences
Abstract
Indonesia's Central Kalimantan province on the island of Borneo is home to extensive peatlands. In dry years such as 2015, peat fires burn for months with huge impacts: Exposure to smoke during this period is expected to cause 100,000 premature deaths, caused major economic disruption with a cost of $16.1Bn to the Indonesian economy and, for three months, emitted more carbon than the entire EU. Indonesia's peatland fires were described as 2015's 'worst environmental disaster' (Guardian, 2015) with Central Kalimantan at the epicentre. The majority of fires in this region are started
deliberately, primarily to clear forest for small or large-scale agriculture (satellite data indicates that there were close to 40,000 fire hot spots in C. Kalimantan peatlands in 2015), but their frequency, duration and severity are strongly climate linked and facilitated by El Niño droughts, which may become more frequent under global warming. In their intact natural waterlogged, forested state these peatlands rarely burn, therefore fires are concentrated in the (extensive) areas that have dried to some degree due to deforestation and drainage for agriculture and timber extraction. Here, smouldering fires burn down into the underlying peat, can burn for months and are the primary cause of near annual air pollution events affecting SE Asia, which were particularly severe during 2015. Thus the drivers behind the peatland fires are a combination of climatic processes, a legacy of historic land use impacts that ensure a high fuel load, and human activities that provide ignition sources. The resulting huge impacts are, therefore, to a large extent preventable but effective action requires a more detailed understanding of future climate-associated risk, biophysical and socio-economic conditions and human behaviours.
We propose an integrated, multidisciplinary project with three core aims:
1) To better understand the drivers behind the multiple drought- and fire-associated hazards and their spatial distribution in the peatlands of Central Kalimantan Province, Indonesian Borneo
2) To characterise the multiple, cumulative impacts of drought and the biophysical and human behavioural chains leading to them, and identify the population groups/communities most vulnerable to these hazards.
3) Combining information from 1 and 2, identify priority actions and policies for work to reduce the risk of fire and identify the socio-cultural, agro-ecological, physical and economic hurdles to achieving positive outcomes from their implementation within the context of sustainable development that leads to better environmental and socio-economic circumstances for all.
The ultimate aim of this project is to build long term resilience to the multiple hazards associated with drought and fire in Central Kalimantan's peatlands by developing the knowledge, tools and capacity to reduce the current co-drivers (e.g. human land uses) and also to plan ahead for when circumstances (climate, land use) change in the future. Fully understanding the human costs can guide the appropriate action to take to minimise the impacts when a disaster does occur. Our proposed research on building resilience emphasises the need to do this in the context of sustainable development and building positive economic opportunities that will incentivise stakeholders. To ensure the research achieves the maximum impact, the consortium partners include Indonesian government agencies and departments, an NGO with extensive experience of engaging rural communities in the region and equal partnerships between UK and Indonesian universities to develop local research capacity through collaboration and training.
deliberately, primarily to clear forest for small or large-scale agriculture (satellite data indicates that there were close to 40,000 fire hot spots in C. Kalimantan peatlands in 2015), but their frequency, duration and severity are strongly climate linked and facilitated by El Niño droughts, which may become more frequent under global warming. In their intact natural waterlogged, forested state these peatlands rarely burn, therefore fires are concentrated in the (extensive) areas that have dried to some degree due to deforestation and drainage for agriculture and timber extraction. Here, smouldering fires burn down into the underlying peat, can burn for months and are the primary cause of near annual air pollution events affecting SE Asia, which were particularly severe during 2015. Thus the drivers behind the peatland fires are a combination of climatic processes, a legacy of historic land use impacts that ensure a high fuel load, and human activities that provide ignition sources. The resulting huge impacts are, therefore, to a large extent preventable but effective action requires a more detailed understanding of future climate-associated risk, biophysical and socio-economic conditions and human behaviours.
We propose an integrated, multidisciplinary project with three core aims:
1) To better understand the drivers behind the multiple drought- and fire-associated hazards and their spatial distribution in the peatlands of Central Kalimantan Province, Indonesian Borneo
2) To characterise the multiple, cumulative impacts of drought and the biophysical and human behavioural chains leading to them, and identify the population groups/communities most vulnerable to these hazards.
3) Combining information from 1 and 2, identify priority actions and policies for work to reduce the risk of fire and identify the socio-cultural, agro-ecological, physical and economic hurdles to achieving positive outcomes from their implementation within the context of sustainable development that leads to better environmental and socio-economic circumstances for all.
The ultimate aim of this project is to build long term resilience to the multiple hazards associated with drought and fire in Central Kalimantan's peatlands by developing the knowledge, tools and capacity to reduce the current co-drivers (e.g. human land uses) and also to plan ahead for when circumstances (climate, land use) change in the future. Fully understanding the human costs can guide the appropriate action to take to minimise the impacts when a disaster does occur. Our proposed research on building resilience emphasises the need to do this in the context of sustainable development and building positive economic opportunities that will incentivise stakeholders. To ensure the research achieves the maximum impact, the consortium partners include Indonesian government agencies and departments, an NGO with extensive experience of engaging rural communities in the region and equal partnerships between UK and Indonesian universities to develop local research capacity through collaboration and training.
Planned Impact
Our ultimate project aim is to build long term resilience to the multiple hazards associated with drought in Central Kalimantan's peatlands by developing the knowledge, tools and capacity to reduce the current co-drivers of drought- associated fire and also for future circumstances when climate and land use change. Our proposal is designed to evaluate the interactions between human activity and climatic extremes in this critically sensitive region; to evaluate the short and longer-term impacts of peat fires in our study location; and to use knowledge of drivers and risk chains to build resilience to the risks from the multihazards associated with droughts and fires. The focus of our project on both forested and agricultural peat landscapes will result in outcomes with direct implications for ecosystem and biodiversity protection, improved local livelihoods and human health and well-being. Our results will provide a basis for improved peatland management for poverty alleviation and socioeconomic development, and will provide a model for increasing ecological and human resilience to future El Niño events across SE Asia.
Below we briefly explain our pathways to impact for the three key groups of stakeholders
- Indonesian government agencies and departments have been involved in developing this project from the start (2017 workshop at University of Exeter) and will be closely involved in its delivery. The key stakeholder in this respect is the Peatland Restoration Agency (BRG) and our proposed resilience research closely follows the structure of their strategy. The BRG was established in response to the 2015 fires by President Widodo with a 5-year mandate, which ends December 2020. The current expectation is that with the recent re-election of President Widodo, the BRG will either be granted another 5-year term or will be incorporated in the Ministry of Environment and Forestry. Regardless of this, we will continue working with the relevant administrative entities, including consulting with these agencies at all project stages, involving them in decision-making committees and providing summary reports for
policy makers.
- Much of our research involves gathering information from and about rural communities. These same communities are also essential for achieving resilience to future drought. It is essential that these communities understand the link between current practices and the negative health and wellbeing impacts they suffer from the fires, as well as the economic opportunities associated with building resilience. Project partners Borneo Nature Foundation have a highly experienced local Community Development & Education team who will manage effective engagement with these stakeholders.
- We aim to develop the capacity of the Indonesian research community through close collaboration and training. In planning this proposal we have budgeted for equal numbers of UK and Indonesian post docs and research assistants to foster co-development of research at all career levels. Most of the research will be carried out in Indonesia with exception of climate modelling and water chemistry analysis, which requires specialised and expensive facilities only available in the UK. In those cases, we plan for Indonesian researchers to spend a period working and training in the UK.
Below we briefly explain our pathways to impact for the three key groups of stakeholders
- Indonesian government agencies and departments have been involved in developing this project from the start (2017 workshop at University of Exeter) and will be closely involved in its delivery. The key stakeholder in this respect is the Peatland Restoration Agency (BRG) and our proposed resilience research closely follows the structure of their strategy. The BRG was established in response to the 2015 fires by President Widodo with a 5-year mandate, which ends December 2020. The current expectation is that with the recent re-election of President Widodo, the BRG will either be granted another 5-year term or will be incorporated in the Ministry of Environment and Forestry. Regardless of this, we will continue working with the relevant administrative entities, including consulting with these agencies at all project stages, involving them in decision-making committees and providing summary reports for
policy makers.
- Much of our research involves gathering information from and about rural communities. These same communities are also essential for achieving resilience to future drought. It is essential that these communities understand the link between current practices and the negative health and wellbeing impacts they suffer from the fires, as well as the economic opportunities associated with building resilience. Project partners Borneo Nature Foundation have a highly experienced local Community Development & Education team who will manage effective engagement with these stakeholders.
- We aim to develop the capacity of the Indonesian research community through close collaboration and training. In planning this proposal we have budgeted for equal numbers of UK and Indonesian post docs and research assistants to foster co-development of research at all career levels. Most of the research will be carried out in Indonesia with exception of climate modelling and water chemistry analysis, which requires specialised and expensive facilities only available in the UK. In those cases, we plan for Indonesian researchers to spend a period working and training in the UK.
Organisations
- UNIVERSITY OF EXETER (Lead Research Organisation)
- Gadjah Mada University (Collaboration)
- University of Palangka Raya (Collaboration)
- London School of Economics and Political Science (University of London) (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF LEICESTER (Collaboration)
- Borneo Nature Foundation (Collaboration, Project Partner)
- Peat Restoration Agency (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF LEEDS (Collaboration)
- Universitas Indonesia (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF EAST ANGLIA (Collaboration)
- Badan Restorasi Gambut (BRG) (Project Partner)
Publications
Apers S
(2022)
Tropical Peatland Hydrology Simulated With a Global Land Surface Model.
in Journal of advances in modeling earth systems
Crawford A
(2024)
Tropical peat composition may provide a negative feedback on fire occurrence and severity
in Nature Communications
Daeli W
(2021)
Where Policy and Culture Collide: Perceptions and Responses of Swidden Farmers to the Burn Ban in West Kalimantan, Indonesia
in Human Ecology
Davies-Barnard T
(2023)
Future fire risk under climate change and deforestation scenarios in tropical Borneo
in Environmental Research Letters
Harrison M
(2024)
Impacts of fire and prospects for recovery in a tropical peat forest ecosystem
in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Harrison M
(2023)
Accounting for seedling performance from nursery to outplanting when reforesting degraded tropical peatlands
in Restoration Ecology
Imron M
(2022)
Beyond Climatic Variation: Human Disturbances Alter the Effectiveness of a Protected Area to Reduce Fires in a Tropical Peatland
in Frontiers in Forests and Global Change
Mishra S
(2021)
Degradation of Southeast Asian tropical peatlands and integrated strategies for their better management and restoration
in Journal of Applied Ecology
Sara Thornton
(2022)
From 'Muddy glee' to muddy reflections on fieldwork and writing
| Description | In reforestation programmes of rainforest on tropical peatland soils in South East Asia, the survival of planted tree seedlings is most strongly determined by species, with very little influence of other factors. Essentially, this means that only a few tree species can initially be re-established so that replanted forest will be of much lower diversity than natural forest and it will take many decades to centuries for natural succession to improve this. We know that peat fires in extensive tropical peatlands of Indonesia have enormous environmental, public health and economic impacts and that major outbreaks of fire are associated with extreme drought conditions. These local weather conditions can be influenced by both global climate processes and by more local effects, such as the degree of forest cover, because rainforests have a local cooling and rain production effect. Using climate modelling focussed on the large island of Borneo, we have projected how a 'Fire Weather Index' (FWI) is likely to change under future global climate change and under further deforestation. We find that the average FWI increases under global climate change and that deforestation adds only a little to this increase. However, it is not only about the average, because it is the extremes that are associated with big fore outbreaks and we find that deforestation is projected to lead to greater extremes. This is important because deforestation is something that national governments can do something about and they can thus reduce future fire risk through policy directed at halting deforestation. During peatland fires, not only the vegetation burns but the ground itself burns and smoulders underground, causing a thick smoke haze that affects huge areas. This is the most damaging part of the Indonesian peatland fires for human health but, surprisingly, no monitoring of air quality has ever been done in the most affected areas. We installed airquality monitors that measure the most damaging small particles "PM2.5" both outdoors and indoors in rural and urban settings, including residential, health centre and office buildings. We found that during the 2023 fire season in Central Kalimantan, PM2.5 exposure concentrations were typically between 300 - 500 µg/m3, representing the highest exposure in the world at that time, far exceeding the European 'safe' threshold of 15 µg/m3, and the Indonesian threshold of 65 µg/m3. Moreover, due to the open nature of buildings, pollution was as bad indoors as outdoors and there was therefore no escape from the bad air quality for local people. These results highlight the huge public health hazard associated with Indonesia's peatland fires. Further research into the impacts of peatfires on local communities revealed the multidimensional nature of the impacts: People report economic loss, health impacts, deterioration of mental health and societal impacts, such as people moving away due to no longer being able to farm as a result of fire-related government policy. The latter was also reported to split families with fathers moving around to find work elsewhere, leaving women and children behind. This demonstrates that the impacts of the fires go beyond the physical health impact and can be exacerbated by policy that focusses on one aspect (use of fire in agriculture) but does not consider the complexity of the problem. Surprisingly though, respondents were split, with a significant number reporting no negative impact of the peatland fires. Further research on the social political systems, revealed that land cover change trends are related to social dynamics and livelihoods, and are also influenced by economic, social, and political conditions at a certain time. Fire mitigation efforts need to be aligned with the conditions of the surrounding community that depend on the related natural resources for their livelihoods, so that there is no social conflict from the changes caused. Policies that tend not to involve the community can cause anthropogenic disturbances to the forest, thereby increasing the risk of fires. Political conditions have an influence on forest fire mitigation efforts. National and Local Media Framing can contribute to analysing political economic conditions and their interactions with the environment. A historical analysis of fires over the past 20 years, using satellite imagery, demonstrated that there is great heterogeneity in fire risk across the landscape, with clear repeat-fire clusters emerging as well as largely unaffected areas. This provides an excellent opportunity to further explore the bio-physical and social factors behind fire risk and identifies clear priority areas for intervention so that limited resources can be used to greatest effect. A major element of peat fire risk is the height of the water table, which has been reduced due to drainage canals and which is a major focus for intervention to reduce risk. However, measuring this on the ground in real time over the huge area affected by peatfires is simply impossible. We have shown that utilisation of temporal satellite imagery can be developed to understand the hydrological dynamics of peat ecosystems. Monitoring of peat hydrological conditions has the potential to be carried out using Radar data via Sentinel-1 which is updated regularly. The dynamics of peat conditions in response to wet or dry conditions can be modeled using SAR data. Development of Google Earth Engine, and utilisation of Sentinel-1 Temporal Satellite Imagery Data integrated via WEBGIS can function to monitor drought or flood conditions in peat ecosystem areas. This now makes it possible to identify areas at risk of fire and flooding and allows for targeted intervention. The ODA relevance so far is that they contribute to the knowledge base underpinning efforts build resilience to drought and peatland fires in Indonesia, by improving the effectiveness of reforestation programmes and by providing insight into how the risk of drought and fire are likely to change in the future under climate change and different (de-) forestation scenarios. The drought-associated peatland fires have repeatedly been shown to have severe health, economic and environmental impacts so by aiding the building of resilience these elements should improve. |
| Exploitation Route | Reforestation is an important element of peatland restoration programmes in Indonesia (and other countries). The findings of our published and ongoing research helps to make forthcoming reforestation initiatives as effective and cost efficient as possible. The Indonesian government has committed to ending net deforestation by 2030 as a contribution to global efforts to reduce climate change. The results from our climate modelling show that this policy can also have direct national-level benefits by reducing the recurring risk of peatland fires and should therefore strengthen the government's case for this policy. Our outreach activities and stakeholder engagement have reached a wide audience of relevant stakeholders who we now believe to have a good grasp of the state of knowledge relevant to their decision-making. |
| Sectors | Agriculture Food and Drink Communities and Social Services/Policy Environment |
| Description | Throughout the project we have engaged with wider audiences, e.g. through invited talk at Global Landscape Forum at COP 26 and article on Mongabay and various events in the project area. While approaching the end of the project, and with results coming together, we have significantly stepped up dissemination of the research findings to relevant parties, most notably through a focus group discussion with general public from rural villages in the affected area, and through a workshop with the wide range of decision-making stakeholders. The numbers of attendees and their engagement at both these events indicated a high level of interest and presentation of the research findings caused a lot of discussion among parties who do not normally get together to discuss these issues. While it is difficult to measure, there is a strong impression that these events caused many of these stakeholders to changed the way they viewed the peatland management issues and gained new insights into the interconnectedness of the many physical and social aspects. Time will tell whether this results in policy change that leads to improved land management and reduced risk of peatland fires. It is encouraging to note that during the 2023 fire season, the area in which our project had been most active and collaborated directly with a local NGO, fires were significantly reduced compared to under similar conditions in past years and compared to other areas with similar fire history. This work is most relevant to SDGs 3, 5, 6, 13, 15. Gender equality The project has had a positive impact on gender equality and inclusivity in the research community in Indonesia by ensuring equal opportunities in recruitment of team members. At the Investigator level, the Indonesian team consists of three men and one woman, while the teams of researchers they have recruited consist of 10 men and 14 women. Update: We have now had intensive contact with Indonesian government officials at various levels and are building our engagement with them to maximise impact on policy. There has been clear interest in our research outputs, but we cannot yet evidence policy change as a result of our research. Further, as part of our field research in rural communities, which has recently started, we are increasingly able to engage with important stakeholders, such as farmers and fishers with whom we hope to achieve behaviour change in relation to the use of fire on peatlands. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2021 |
| Sector | Agriculture, Food and Drink,Communities and Social Services/Policy,Environment |
| Impact Types | Cultural Societal |
| Description | Environmental Intelligence CDT studentship |
| Amount | £60,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 09/2021 |
| End | 09/2024 |
| Title | Spatio-temporal variability in ecosystem properties and biodiversity in relation to fire in Sebangau National Park, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia, 2003-2019 |
| Description | Datasets consist of monitoring data on ecosystem properties (17 variables) and biodiversity (21 variables), collected between 2003 and 2019 from the tropical peatland of the Natural Laboratory of Peat-swamp Forest special research zone in Sebangau National Park, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia. The dataset includes 23 data files. These data files represent results from comparisons of ecosystem property and biodiversity variables over space between new burn, old burn and unburned forest conditions, including: (a) effect sizes resulting from a hierarchical mixed effects meta-analysis; and (b) proportional changes resulting from a generalized linear mixed-effects model. They also include datasets relating to variability ecosystem property and biodiversity variables over time in relation to fire incidence within the wider landscape, including (c) time-series data for ecosystem properties aggregated by site and season, and occupancy detection matrices biodiversity for biodiversity variables; and (d) species richness and abundance estimates aggregated at the site level. |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2024 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | Underpins paper currently in press. Provides first comprehensive overview of data on effect of tropical peatland fires on biodiversity by bringing together many previously unpublished data sets. |
| URL | https://catalogue.ceh.ac.uk/id/24e8e9c6-f9fa-4758-951f-9160bb0dde6e |
| Title | Tropical peat composition may provide a negative feedback on fire severity |
| Description | Full data set for Crawford et al. "Tropical peat composition may provide a negative feedback on fire severity". Fields include latitude/longitude, climatic region, mean surface temperature 1961-1990, sampling depth, aerobic/anaerobic layer, peat composition where analysed, peat type where composition analysed, and temperature at maximum rate of decomposition (Tmax). |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2024 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| URL | https://springernature.figshare.com/articles/dataset/Tropical_peat_composition_may_provide_a_negativ... |
| Description | KaLi Consortium |
| Organisation | Borneo Nature Foundation |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | Project KaLi (Kalimantan Lestari - Sustainable Kalimantan) is carried out by a consortium involving all these partners and the departments of Biosciences, Geography and Mathematics at University of Exeter. As PI, me and my team provide the leadership, as well as specific areas of research expertise. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Each of the partners contribute their specific area of research expertise. BNF and UPR also provide logistical support and infrastructure for fieldwork as well as liaison with local stakeholders through their exiting networks. The Peatland Restoration Agency (now re-established by the Indonesian government as the Badan Restorasi Gambut dan Mangrove) provides extensive data sets, with a conservative estimated value of £100,000 and is also expected to second staff to chair our Stakeholder Advisory Group. The University of Leeds has allocated £45,000 of QR uplift for additional contracted post doc time to work on the project. |
| Impact | See outputs under publications. This is a multi-disciplinary collaboration involving the following disciplines: Ecology Molecular Biology Environmental Chemistry Physical Geography Social Science Political Science Mathematics Atmospheric science |
| Start Year | 2020 |
| Description | KaLi Consortium |
| Organisation | Gadjah Mada University |
| Country | Indonesia |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Project KaLi (Kalimantan Lestari - Sustainable Kalimantan) is carried out by a consortium involving all these partners and the departments of Biosciences, Geography and Mathematics at University of Exeter. As PI, me and my team provide the leadership, as well as specific areas of research expertise. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Each of the partners contribute their specific area of research expertise. BNF and UPR also provide logistical support and infrastructure for fieldwork as well as liaison with local stakeholders through their exiting networks. The Peatland Restoration Agency (now re-established by the Indonesian government as the Badan Restorasi Gambut dan Mangrove) provides extensive data sets, with a conservative estimated value of £100,000 and is also expected to second staff to chair our Stakeholder Advisory Group. The University of Leeds has allocated £45,000 of QR uplift for additional contracted post doc time to work on the project. |
| Impact | See outputs under publications. This is a multi-disciplinary collaboration involving the following disciplines: Ecology Molecular Biology Environmental Chemistry Physical Geography Social Science Political Science Mathematics Atmospheric science |
| Start Year | 2020 |
| Description | KaLi Consortium |
| Organisation | London School of Economics and Political Science (University of London) |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Project KaLi (Kalimantan Lestari - Sustainable Kalimantan) is carried out by a consortium involving all these partners and the departments of Biosciences, Geography and Mathematics at University of Exeter. As PI, me and my team provide the leadership, as well as specific areas of research expertise. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Each of the partners contribute their specific area of research expertise. BNF and UPR also provide logistical support and infrastructure for fieldwork as well as liaison with local stakeholders through their exiting networks. The Peatland Restoration Agency (now re-established by the Indonesian government as the Badan Restorasi Gambut dan Mangrove) provides extensive data sets, with a conservative estimated value of £100,000 and is also expected to second staff to chair our Stakeholder Advisory Group. The University of Leeds has allocated £45,000 of QR uplift for additional contracted post doc time to work on the project. |
| Impact | See outputs under publications. This is a multi-disciplinary collaboration involving the following disciplines: Ecology Molecular Biology Environmental Chemistry Physical Geography Social Science Political Science Mathematics Atmospheric science |
| Start Year | 2020 |
| Description | KaLi Consortium |
| Organisation | Peat Restoration Agency |
| Country | Indonesia |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | Project KaLi (Kalimantan Lestari - Sustainable Kalimantan) is carried out by a consortium involving all these partners and the departments of Biosciences, Geography and Mathematics at University of Exeter. As PI, me and my team provide the leadership, as well as specific areas of research expertise. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Each of the partners contribute their specific area of research expertise. BNF and UPR also provide logistical support and infrastructure for fieldwork as well as liaison with local stakeholders through their exiting networks. The Peatland Restoration Agency (now re-established by the Indonesian government as the Badan Restorasi Gambut dan Mangrove) provides extensive data sets, with a conservative estimated value of £100,000 and is also expected to second staff to chair our Stakeholder Advisory Group. The University of Leeds has allocated £45,000 of QR uplift for additional contracted post doc time to work on the project. |
| Impact | See outputs under publications. This is a multi-disciplinary collaboration involving the following disciplines: Ecology Molecular Biology Environmental Chemistry Physical Geography Social Science Political Science Mathematics Atmospheric science |
| Start Year | 2020 |
| Description | KaLi Consortium |
| Organisation | Universitas Indonesia |
| Country | Indonesia |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Project KaLi (Kalimantan Lestari - Sustainable Kalimantan) is carried out by a consortium involving all these partners and the departments of Biosciences, Geography and Mathematics at University of Exeter. As PI, me and my team provide the leadership, as well as specific areas of research expertise. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Each of the partners contribute their specific area of research expertise. BNF and UPR also provide logistical support and infrastructure for fieldwork as well as liaison with local stakeholders through their exiting networks. The Peatland Restoration Agency (now re-established by the Indonesian government as the Badan Restorasi Gambut dan Mangrove) provides extensive data sets, with a conservative estimated value of £100,000 and is also expected to second staff to chair our Stakeholder Advisory Group. The University of Leeds has allocated £45,000 of QR uplift for additional contracted post doc time to work on the project. |
| Impact | See outputs under publications. This is a multi-disciplinary collaboration involving the following disciplines: Ecology Molecular Biology Environmental Chemistry Physical Geography Social Science Political Science Mathematics Atmospheric science |
| Start Year | 2020 |
| Description | KaLi Consortium |
| Organisation | University of East Anglia |
| Department | Tyndall Centre |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Project KaLi (Kalimantan Lestari - Sustainable Kalimantan) is carried out by a consortium involving all these partners and the departments of Biosciences, Geography and Mathematics at University of Exeter. As PI, me and my team provide the leadership, as well as specific areas of research expertise. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Each of the partners contribute their specific area of research expertise. BNF and UPR also provide logistical support and infrastructure for fieldwork as well as liaison with local stakeholders through their exiting networks. The Peatland Restoration Agency (now re-established by the Indonesian government as the Badan Restorasi Gambut dan Mangrove) provides extensive data sets, with a conservative estimated value of £100,000 and is also expected to second staff to chair our Stakeholder Advisory Group. The University of Leeds has allocated £45,000 of QR uplift for additional contracted post doc time to work on the project. |
| Impact | See outputs under publications. This is a multi-disciplinary collaboration involving the following disciplines: Ecology Molecular Biology Environmental Chemistry Physical Geography Social Science Political Science Mathematics Atmospheric science |
| Start Year | 2020 |
| Description | KaLi Consortium |
| Organisation | University of Leeds |
| Department | School of Geography Leeds |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Project KaLi (Kalimantan Lestari - Sustainable Kalimantan) is carried out by a consortium involving all these partners and the departments of Biosciences, Geography and Mathematics at University of Exeter. As PI, me and my team provide the leadership, as well as specific areas of research expertise. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Each of the partners contribute their specific area of research expertise. BNF and UPR also provide logistical support and infrastructure for fieldwork as well as liaison with local stakeholders through their exiting networks. The Peatland Restoration Agency (now re-established by the Indonesian government as the Badan Restorasi Gambut dan Mangrove) provides extensive data sets, with a conservative estimated value of £100,000 and is also expected to second staff to chair our Stakeholder Advisory Group. The University of Leeds has allocated £45,000 of QR uplift for additional contracted post doc time to work on the project. |
| Impact | See outputs under publications. This is a multi-disciplinary collaboration involving the following disciplines: Ecology Molecular Biology Environmental Chemistry Physical Geography Social Science Political Science Mathematics Atmospheric science |
| Start Year | 2020 |
| Description | KaLi Consortium |
| Organisation | University of Leicester |
| Department | Department of Geography |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Project KaLi (Kalimantan Lestari - Sustainable Kalimantan) is carried out by a consortium involving all these partners and the departments of Biosciences, Geography and Mathematics at University of Exeter. As PI, me and my team provide the leadership, as well as specific areas of research expertise. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Each of the partners contribute their specific area of research expertise. BNF and UPR also provide logistical support and infrastructure for fieldwork as well as liaison with local stakeholders through their exiting networks. The Peatland Restoration Agency (now re-established by the Indonesian government as the Badan Restorasi Gambut dan Mangrove) provides extensive data sets, with a conservative estimated value of £100,000 and is also expected to second staff to chair our Stakeholder Advisory Group. The University of Leeds has allocated £45,000 of QR uplift for additional contracted post doc time to work on the project. |
| Impact | See outputs under publications. This is a multi-disciplinary collaboration involving the following disciplines: Ecology Molecular Biology Environmental Chemistry Physical Geography Social Science Political Science Mathematics Atmospheric science |
| Start Year | 2020 |
| Description | KaLi Consortium |
| Organisation | University of Palangka Raya |
| Department | Center for International Cooperation in Sustainable Management of Tropical Peatland (CIMTROP) |
| Country | Indonesia |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Project KaLi (Kalimantan Lestari - Sustainable Kalimantan) is carried out by a consortium involving all these partners and the departments of Biosciences, Geography and Mathematics at University of Exeter. As PI, me and my team provide the leadership, as well as specific areas of research expertise. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Each of the partners contribute their specific area of research expertise. BNF and UPR also provide logistical support and infrastructure for fieldwork as well as liaison with local stakeholders through their exiting networks. The Peatland Restoration Agency (now re-established by the Indonesian government as the Badan Restorasi Gambut dan Mangrove) provides extensive data sets, with a conservative estimated value of £100,000 and is also expected to second staff to chair our Stakeholder Advisory Group. The University of Leeds has allocated £45,000 of QR uplift for additional contracted post doc time to work on the project. |
| Impact | See outputs under publications. This is a multi-disciplinary collaboration involving the following disciplines: Ecology Molecular Biology Environmental Chemistry Physical Geography Social Science Political Science Mathematics Atmospheric science |
| Start Year | 2020 |
| Description | Community Focus Group Discussion |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | A one-day workshop with general public from villages in Central Kalimantan Province that are affected by the annual peatfire problem. We discussed with them what, according to our research, the potential solutions are to this problem and, through a series of targeted activities, sought their views on the feasibility, barriers and things we had missed. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| Description | Indonesian government project socialisation event |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | 2- day event, engaging with a delegation of 10 persons from Indonesian central government, joined by similar numbers from local / regional government. The project team presented an overview of the research and its relevance to policy and carried out field visits with the delegates, interspersed with formal and informal discussion with the delegates. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Interview for regional news |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Interview on BBC Radio Cornwall on pledge made at COP26 to end deforestation by 2030. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Keynote address to Global Landscape Forum |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Third sector organisations |
| Results and Impact | A keynote address at the Global landscape Forum in Glasgow during COP26 to spark discussion on the importance of socio-economic transformation for creating positive tipping points towards sustainable development among a global audience of thousands. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Press conference |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | During our stakeholder event, we organised a press conference with was attended by Indonesian local and national print and tv media and which resulted in articles in several regional newspapers and a segment on a prime-time national TV news programme. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| Description | Stakeholder workshop |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | One-day stakeholder event with panel discussions and breakout groups with diverse set of approximately 100 stakeholders relating to peatland management and peat fire prevention in Indonesia. There was very strong engagement and many remarked that this was the first time that all these relevant players had been brought together to discuss this major issue. It was very successful for disseminating our research findings to this wide group of stakeholders and for stimulating discussion on how to apply the new knowledge in practice. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |