Wetland Restoration & Conservation as Nature-based Solutions
Restoration of Peatlands in Indonesia
Indonesia is home to one of the most disturbed peatland ecosystems on Earth, where soil carbon is highly vulnerable to oxidation and human-caused fires. In 2016, the Peat and Mangrove Restoration Agency (BRGM) was established to restore 2 million hectares of disturbed peatlands in Indonesia.
One approach for restoration called "rewetting", where canals are dammed (right) to raise the water table, has been carried out across the country, but the carbon emissions reduced as a a result of this restoration is not well constrained.
Our group works with Yayasan Konservasi Alam Nusantara (The Nature Conservancy's Indonesian affiliate) to monitor the emissions reduced from soils and canals with peat rewetting.
Collaboration with: Nisa Novita (TNC/YKAN), Gusti Anshari (Tanjungpura Univ.), and Rasis Ritonga (NUS)
Torres* et al (2026). Controls on dissolved inorganic carbon concentrations in tropical peatland canals. Southeastern Biogeochemistry Symposium, Atlanta, GA.
Novita et al (2024). Strong climate mitigation potential of rewetting oil palm plantations on tropical peatlands. Science of the Total Environment, 175829.
Peatland rewetting in Indonesia. Photo credit: J. Bowen
Intact tropical peat swamp forest. Photo credit: Y. Andriyani
Conservation of Tropical Wetlands
Tropical and subtropical wetlands store tremendous amounts of soil carbon, but are vulnerable to deforestation, drainage, land development, and sea-level rise.
Because the majority of tropical and subtropical wetlands remain unprotected, our group works with non-profit organizations, community members, government agencies, and researchers to quantify and investigate controls on soil carbon sequestration, which may be used to identify wetlands to prioritize for conservation.
Asyhari et al (2024). Quantifying the fluxes of carbon loss from an undrained tropical peatland ecosystem in Indonesia. Scientific Reports, 14, 11459.
Yayasan Konservasi Alam Nusantara (YKAN). Peatland Conservation in Indonesia.