PREAMBLE

Tropical peatland ecosystems in Southeast Asia are globally important as carbon sinks. They are also diversely rich in terrestrial and aquatic fauna and flora, and are significant sources of livelihood for local communities. However, agribusiness-driven land-use change and drainage cause a great amount of peatland degradation and ignite underground peat fires; these in turn generate air pollution known as “haze” and lead to significant economic losses and affected public health. Haze and climate change are connected, with peat burning emitting substantial amounts of greenhouse gases (GHG) and pollutants—which are projected to increase with climate change due to rising intensity and frequency of droughts. However, these issues are largely treated separately in policy and governance, which offers a big challenge for management and a lost opportunity for sustainability.

This article provides an overview of state-of-the-art research on peatlands and their governance in Southeast Asia, mainly focusing on Indonesia and Malaysia, home to the largest tropical peat deposits in the region. It first outlines and maps key developments over recent, along with associated environmental issues. Next, it details the connection between haze and carbon emissions in the region's peatlands and how peatlands represent a large proportion of national GHG emissions in both countries. It then traces the evolution of peatland policies at the national and regional levels, from conservation to addressing fire and haze issues, reflecting their complex relationship with national development and the corporate sector. The following section focuses on opportunities to integrate and improve peatland governance; while regulatory approaches are already largely in place, there are untapped opportunities related to financial and market instruments, as well as the ability to create enabling governance environments through community participation. The authors then highlight the remaining challenges in this endeavour, namely data uncertainties and the complexity of integrating policies across multiple scales and issues.

PEATLANDS IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

Pristine peatlands are usually waterlogged all year round. The carbon-rich material from aboveground biomass and roots that fill them decompose very slowly, making these areas globally important stocks of carbon. They also provide many other essential ecosystem services beyond carbon sequestration, such as regulating the water cycle and maintaining water quality in catchment areas, acting as coastal buffers and sources of timber and non-timber forest products for adjacent communities. The UNEP's Global Peatland Assessment estimates that peatlands cover 3–4 per cent of the planet's land surface, with tropical peatlands making up ∼11 per cent of the global peatland area.