REDD+ as an area-based policy: evidence from the 2011 Moratorium on oil palm, timber and logging concessions in Indonesia

The 2011 Moratorium on new oil palm, timber and logging concessions
in primary forests and peatlands is an area-based policy, which was
implemented in Indonesia to scale up efforts to reduce emissions from
deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+). Using quasiexperimental
methods and satellite fire observations, this paper
evaluates the extent to which the policy was effective in preventing the
occurrence of fire, typically used to clear forests in preparation for new
concessions. We find that the effect of the Moratorium is negligible
when considering global changes in fire regimes from 2006-2011 to
2011-2016. Pre-existing concessions for oil palm and timber
concessions perform significantly worse than areas included in the
Moratorium. Conversely, logging concessions perform significantly
better. While a potential claim for the inclusion of logged and
secondary forests in the Moratorium area is valid, we argue that
political factors have to be considered when designing conservation policy in Indonesia