Peatlands & the UN REDD Programme in Indonesia
In 2015, Indonesia experienced its worst environmental disaster. Forest and peat fires burned 2.6 million hectares of land. The damage was huge: $16 billion in economic losses with half a million people suffering from respiratory illnesses. Following the 2015 disaster, the Government of Indonesia officially recognized the importance of peatlands. It established the Peatlands Restoration Agency (BRG) and pledged to restore 2 million hectares of peatlands by 2020. In 2016, it made draining and clearing of peatlands, for example for the production of cash crops such as oil palm, illegal. The UN-REDD Programme was established with a mandate to support countries in their efforts to Reduce Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+). It provides technical advice and assistance to national and subnational governments.