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A. P. Sari et al.
• Agriculture development around the restoration areas. A significant portion of
peatlands degradation is due to agricultural use, or agricultural development,
in and around the peatlands. Development of the agricultural sector around the
restoration areas will reduce the risks of encroachments as not only is it increasing
agricultural productivity, it also increases the prosperity of the community
members, especially the farmers, resulting in less propensity to encroach.
• Other livelihoods are supporting activities to the communities around the restoration areas. In addition to agricultural development, support to other livelihoods
in the communities around the restoration areas such as animal husbandry and
fisheries will also reduce the propensity to encroach.
• Paludiculture. There are species that can be planted in peatlands, such as sago,
jelutong, pineapple, and others. Liberica coffee, although not entirely a species
that can be planted on peatlands without hydrological modifications, is considered
“pealand-safe” as there are only small modifications required. There are opportunities to develop paludiculture as alternative livelihoods. This, too, will benefit
the communities and hence reduce the propensity to encroach.
• Ecosystem Services. Among the most significant impacts of peat conservation and
restoration is that it will reduce or avoid emissions from peatlands degradation
and peat fires. Through the emergence of carbon markets in the future, including
that established under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, a sufficient amount of
funding can be raised. In addition to carbon, there are also valuable ecosystem
services such as biodiversity, water supply, and ecosystem-based tourism that can
be capitalized.
Carbon Asset: A Business Case for Peatland Restoration
Covering a mere three percent of the world, peatlands store 30–40% of the world’s
carbon. The extent of the world’s peatland areas varies due to some definitional
challenges. The extent of peatlands in Indonesia similarly varies, ranging from
206,950 sq km (km
2 , or about 20.7 Mha) with about 1138 km
3 volume at 5.5 (m)
average depth to 225,420 km
2 (about 22.5 Mha) with about 1388 km
3 at 3.4 m
average depth (Page et al. 2011; Gumbrich et al. 2017).
Degradation of peatlands including especially peatland fires leads to massive emissions of greenhouse gases. Conserving and restoring degraded peatlands will lead
to a reduction and avoidance of greenhouse gas emissions. According to the Paris
Agreement, Article 6, efforts to reduce emissions through conservation and restoration of peatlands may be carried out in cooperation with other countries voluntarily.
The resulting emission reductions maybe claimed and used by one of the parties
towards meeting their NDCs—usually the investing ones—but not both.
5
5 Article 6.1 or the Paris Agreement stipulates that “Parties recognize that some Parties choose to
pursue voluntary cooperation in the implementation of their nationally determined contributions
to allow for higher ambition in their mitigation and adaptation actions and to promote sustainable
A. P. Sari et al.
• Agriculture development around the restoration areas. A significant portion of
peatlands degradation is due to agricultural use, or agricultural development,
in and around the peatlands. Development of the agricultural sector around the
restoration areas will reduce the risks of encroachments as not only is it increasing
agricultural productivity, it also increases the prosperity of the community
members, especially the farmers, resulting in less propensity to encroach.
• Other livelihoods are supporting activities to the communities around the restoration areas. In addition to agricultural development, support to other livelihoods
in the communities around the restoration areas such as animal husbandry and
fisheries will also reduce the propensity to encroach.
• Paludiculture. There are species that can be planted in peatlands, such as sago,
jelutong, pineapple, and others. Liberica coffee, although not entirely a species
that can be planted on peatlands without hydrological modifications, is considered
“pealand-safe” as there are only small modifications required. There are opportunities to develop paludiculture as alternative livelihoods. This, too, will benefit
the communities and hence reduce the propensity to encroach.
• Ecosystem Services. Among the most significant impacts of peat conservation and
restoration is that it will reduce or avoid emissions from peatlands degradation
and peat fires. Through the emergence of carbon markets in the future, including
that established under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, a sufficient amount of
funding can be raised. In addition to carbon, there are also valuable ecosystem
services such as biodiversity, water supply, and ecosystem-based tourism that can
be capitalized.
Carbon Asset: A Business Case for Peatland Restoration
Covering a mere three percent of the world, peatlands store 30–40% of the world’s
carbon. The extent of the world’s peatland areas varies due to some definitional
challenges. The extent of peatlands in Indonesia similarly varies, ranging from
206,950 sq km (km
2 , or about 20.7 Mha) with about 1138 km
3 volume at 5.5 (m)
average depth to 225,420 km
2 (about 22.5 Mha) with about 1388 km
3 at 3.4 m
average depth (Page et al. 2011; Gumbrich et al. 2017).
Degradation of peatlands including especially peatland fires leads to massive emissions of greenhouse gases. Conserving and restoring degraded peatlands will lead
to a reduction and avoidance of greenhouse gas emissions. According to the Paris
Agreement, Article 6, efforts to reduce emissions through conservation and restoration of peatlands may be carried out in cooperation with other countries voluntarily.
The resulting emission reductions maybe claimed and used by one of the parties
towards meeting their NDCs—usually the investing ones—but not both.
5
5 Article 6.1 or the Paris Agreement stipulates that “Parties recognize that some Parties choose to
pursue voluntary cooperation in the implementation of their nationally determined contributions
to allow for higher ambition in their mitigation and adaptation actions and to promote sustainable