📍Sumatra, Indonesia
Start Date: 2024
A Fragile Landscape at Risk
Jambi’s peatland ecosystems are among the world’s most important carbon sinks, yet they are rapidly degrading due to drainage for agriculture. Farmers have long depended on these lands for cultivation, but clearing and draining peat releases vast amounts of carbon, increases fire risks, and disrupts water cycles. As peat domes stretch across conservation areas and community lands, reversing this degradation requires an ecosystem-wide approach that aligns climate action with economic sustainability.
Our Goal: Creating Incentives for Farmers to Restore Peatlands
This initiative pioneers a new approach to peatland conservation by offering incentives to farmers to transition away from environmentally damaging cultivations. Spanning 2,000 hectares across six villages in Jambi, Sumatra, it combines alternative livelihoods with carbon finance to make peatland restoration a viable economic alternative. The goal is to rewet, restore, and protect peatlands while ensuring that local communities benefit from climate action.
Potential: Scaling a Climate-Smart Economic Model
This model proves that conservation and livelihoods can coexist. By offering alternative livelihoods and unlocking carbon markets to support peatland restoration, the initiative provides:
- A replicable blueprint for restoring peatlands across Indonesia and Asia
- Sustainable income streams for farmers through alternative livelihoods and carbon finance
- Long-term resilience against fire and flooding
Partners:
Golden Agri-Resources (GAR), PT Hijau Alam Sejati (PT HAS), and Permakultur Lanskap Berkelanjutan Indonesia (PLANB).
