In their natural state peat-swamp forests, like the Sebangau National Park, are permanently waterlogged and fire resistant. Drainage canals, dug illegally to remove timber and to develop plantations, dry out the peat leading to annual dry season forest fires, with drought conditions further intensified every 5 or so years during El Niño.
In 2015, massive fires raged for months, burning over 957 K hectares in Indonesian Borneo and exposing 69 million people to toxic smoke, causing the premature death of up to 17,000 people. The fires and smoke resulted in a US$30 billion loss to the Indonesian economy and a carbon emission rate that exceeded that from fossil fuels across the entire European Union. Carbon leaching poisoned fish stocks, the major source of protein for local communities. The fire crisis requires major interventions at all levels, from national policy down to local government and community action. We are working to address the root causes of the fires through implementation of our integrated, community-based fire-prevention strategy for the region.