Priority peatland regions, Indonesia
#00254
PartialNational
Case study of
#00286 Rewet peatlands and block drainage canals
Implementer
Indonesian Peatland Restoration Agency and successor institutions with regional partners
Location
Priority peatland regions, Indonesia-2.5489, 118.0149
Description
Following the 2015 peat-fire crisis, Indonesia established a dedicated Peatland Restoration Agency to implement canal blocking, rewetting, and community-based restoration across priority peatland regions. Implementation was substantial in scale but produced uneven local outcomes due to mismatches between administrative boundaries and hydrological units, land-use conflicts, and ongoing maintenance requirements.
Lessons learned
- Canal blocking must be designed around whole hydrological units rather than administrative parcels — blocking canals within a single concession or district while leaving adjacent drainage open undermines rewetting.
- Restoration outcomes depend on securing local land rights and establishing viable wet-land livelihoods (e.g., paludiculture) alongside engineering works; without these, communities have incentives to re-drain.
Sources
2Documented Jul 30, 2026