Sustainable peatland management in Indonesia : Towards better understanding of socio-ecological dynamics in tropical peatland management

Abstract

Large areas of Indonesian tropical peatlands have been converted to other uses for economic purposes at the expense of major environmental, health, and economic risks. In my thesis, I assessed peatland uses and ecosystem services provided by Indonesian peatlands, the long-term health impacts of peatland fires and smoke to the local populations, the institutional fit of peatland governance, and the socio-ecological properties of the paludiculture food crops as the alternative development options in Indonesian peatlands. Spatial analyses, literature reviews, questioners and in-depth interviews were applied. Based on the findings in my study, I distil several implications for the management of the peatlands and present some recommendations in order to support sustainable peatland management and peat policy in Indonesia.