Enviro News Asia, New York – Indonesia has restored peatland ecosystems through regulations, policies, and technical guidelines involving local communities as well as the private sector. To date, the country has successfully rehabilitated around 3.7 million hectares of peatlands within concession areas. In addition, more than 52,000 hectares of community peatlands have been restored through the Peat Care Independent Village (DMPG) program.
“These efforts have been carried out using the 3R approach: rewetting, revegetation, and revitalization of community livelihoods,” said Agus Justianto, Senior Policy Analyst at the Ministry of Forestry, during the Peatland Breakthrough meeting at the Permanent Mission of Peru to the United Nations in New York on Thursday (September 25, 2025).
The meeting, part of New York Climate Week, brought together governments, global partners, and potential international donors. The Indonesian delegation was represented by Agus Justianto along with Krisdianto, Head of the Bureau of Public Relations and International Cooperation at the Ministry of Forestry.
At the forum, both Agus and Krisdianto emphasized the strategic role and concrete steps taken by the Indonesian government in peatland protection and restoration. Agus highlighted that Indonesia possesses the world’s largest tropical peatland area 24.67 million hectares, with a carbon stock of around 46 gigatons, equivalent to 8–14 percent of the world’s total peat carbon.
“Managing and restoring peatland ecosystems is crucial to meeting both national and international climate targets, including Indonesia’s NDC commitments under the Paris Agreement and the FOLU Net Sink 2030 program,” he explained.
Agus also outlined Indonesia’s initiatives, including the establishment of the Peatland and Mangrove Restoration Agency (BRGM) in 2020, mandated to restore 1.2 million hectares of peatlands across seven priority provinces. Additionally, Indonesia founded the International Tropical Peatlands Center (ITPC) as a platform for scientific collaboration, policy development, and best practices among Southeast Asia, the Congo Basin, and Peru.
Krisdianto further stressed that peatlands should not be seen as a climate liability. “On the contrary, peatlands are a climate superpower that can be part of the solution if managed properly,” he asserted. (*)
