Community perceptions of peat rewetting in Tumbang Nusa Village, Indonesia

Indonesia is committed to rewetting peatlands to reduce the risk of fires and to decrease national greenhouse gas emissions. The three main approaches currently being implemented for rewetting peatlands in Indonesia are: 1) installing dams in drainage canals--"canal blocking"; 2) filling in drainage canals--"backfilling"; and 3) drilling wells to access water to fight fires--"deep wells". Tumbang Nusa in Central Kalimantan was chosen in 2020 as a pilot village to trial fire management through rewetting, although some engineering and logistical questions remain. Peatland rewetting is a complex process, and it is essential to determine public support as well as the potential for communities to live and work with rewet peat landscapes. Community attitudes to rewetting and their involvement in the process are not well understood. This article reports on 20 interviews conducted with villagers in Tumbang Nusa about their perceptions of rewetting. It identifies that the general attitude to rewetting is positive, but there is confusion and a lack of involvement with regard to where deep wells have been drilled and where canal blocks are located, as well as how they work and can be used. Villagers are concerned about their livelihoods and the impacts of fire. To support communities where rewetting will occur, careful management of the physical processes is needed, but even more important is the need for greater involvement of local communities in actively developing possibilities for their own futures on rewet peat. KEY WORDS: climate change, fire, greenhouse gas emissions, livelihoods, peatland restoration, social barriers