Degraded peatlands in Sumatra, Indonesia: how land rights influence the abandonment and burning of land

Authors:
Kosuke Mizuno

Book:
Proceedings of the 15th International Peat Congress

Venue:
Kuching

Keywords:
government-designated-state-forests, land-rights, peatland, peatland-degradation, sumatra

Documentfile:
ipc16p55a266kosuke.mizuno.pdf

Summary:

Peatlands in Sumatra, Indonesia are one of Southeast Asia‘s last resource frontiers and they are currently being exploited on a large scale, leading to massive fires and carbon emissions. Despite the global implications of this problem, few studies have investigated the social aspects of peatland degradation, limiting our understanding of potential sustainable management regimes for peatland resources. This study focuses on the factors causing land abandonment and fire, key precursors to peatland degradation. Detailed household questionnaires in a village in Riau province investigated village formation and land history, paying particular attention to how land is…