When Peat Dries, Carbon Rises: How KMP is Reversing the Cycle

Peatlands are among the world’s most important natural carbon stores. Hidden beneath dense tropical forests, layers of waterlogged organic matter have built up over thousands of years, locking away vast amounts of carbon underground.

But when peat dries, that balance begins to break.

Drained and degraded peatlands release massive amounts of greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere. They become highly vulnerable to fire, biodiversity loss, and long-term ecological damage. Across Indonesia, peatland degradation has become one of the biggest contributors to carbon emissions and haze pollution.

In Central Kalimantan, the Katingan Mentaya Project is working to reverse that cycle.

Understanding the Peatland Challenge

The Katingan Mentaya landscape sits within one of the largest remaining intact peat-swamp forests in Indonesia. These ecosystems are unique because they depend on water. Healthy peatlands remain saturated, keeping carbon locked safely underground and reducing fire risk.

But when peatlands are drained (often through canals, deforestation, or unsustainable land use) the peat begins to dry out. Once exposed to air, stored carbon oxidises and is released into the atmosphere. Dry peat also becomes extremely flammable, creating conditions for devastating forest and land fires.

The consequences extend far beyond the forest itself. Fires and haze impact public health, livelihoods, biodiversity, and climate stability.

Protecting Water, Protecting Carbon

At the heart of the Katingan Mentaya Project is a simple principle: keeping peatlands wet keeps carbon in the ground.

The project protects and restores 157,875 hectares of peat-swamp ecosystem in Central Kalimantan (project carbon accounting area of 149,800ha) helping maintain the natural hydrology that peat forests depend on. By preventing deforestation and degradation, the project reduces the risk of peat drying and the emissions that follow.

This landscape-scale protection contributes to an estimated 6–7 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions reductions annually over the project’s lifetime.

Restoration efforts also include assisted natural regeneration, revegetation using endemic tree species, and long-term ecosystem monitoring to strengthen the resilience of the landscape.

Breaking the Fire Cycle

One of the clearest signs of healthy peatland management is the absence of fire.

The Katingan Mentaya Project operates a comprehensive Fire Management Strategy that combines technology, field monitoring, and community-led prevention. Satellite hotspot monitoring, early warning systems, seasonal risk analysis, and community firefighting groups work together to reduce fire risk before it escalates.

The project’s efforts have achieved an important milestone: zero fire incidents within the project area between 2023 and 2025.

This matters because every avoided fire prevents additional carbon emissions from entering the atmosphere while also protecting nearby communities from hazardous haze.

Communities as Partners in Restoration

Peatland protection is not possible without the people who live alongside the forest.

The Katingan Mentaya Project works with 41 villages across six sub-districts, supporting communities through livelihood programmes, environmental education, and sustainable land-use initiatives that reduce pressure on peat ecosystems.

Community-based fire brigades, known locally as Masyarakat Peduli Api (MPA/RSA), play a central role in prevention and response efforts. Across the project area, 42 community firefighting groups involving more than 1,000 villagers help monitor and protect the landscape.

At the same time, livelihood transition programmes and regenerative agriculture initiatives help communities move away from practices that contribute to peat degradation.

Why Peatlands Matter Globally

Although peatlands cover only a small percentage of the Earth’s surface, they store enormous amounts of carbon. Protecting these ecosystems is one of the most effective nature-based climate solutions available today.

The Katingan Mentaya Project demonstrates how peatland conservation can deliver far-reaching benefits — not only for climate mitigation, but also for biodiversity, public health, and community resilience.

The landscape supports hundreds of species, including critically endangered wildlife such as the Bornean orangutan and Sunda pangolin, while also sustaining the livelihoods and wellbeing of river communities throughout the region.

Restoring Balance

The story of peatlands is ultimately a story about balance. When peat dries, carbon rises. Forests become vulnerable, communities face greater risk, and the climate crisis accelerates.

But when peatlands remain healthy and protected, they become one of nature’s most powerful defences against climate change.

Through restoration, fire prevention, and community-led conservation, the Katingan Mentaya Project is helping restore that balance — keeping carbon locked in the ground, protecting forests from fire, and building a more resilient future for the people and ecosystems that depend on them.

(Photos courtesy of PT Rimba Makmur Utama)