Peatland fires in Indonesia pose a major threat to habitats, wildlife and people. That risk is exacerbated by the country’s periodic El Niño warming phases, which bring prolonged drought.

Massive fires have occurred in all the recent El Niño years, including 2015, 2019 and 2023. With a major El Niño building this year, there are serious concerns that Indonesia is in store for another severe fire season.

Preventing these fires requires more than just an emergency response. It depends on restoring degraded peatlands and reducing the conditions that allow fires to spread.

As climate change intensifies wildfire risk globally, Indonesia’s experience offers important lessons for protecting vulnerable ecosystems and communities around the world.

The national restoration programme was established just after the major droughts brought about by the El Niño of 2015. That year, Indonesia experienced severe land and peat fires which saw around 2.6 million hectares of land burn.

Pollution and emissions from months of fires affected millions of people across Southeast Asia. Economic losses were estimated at more than US$16.1 billion (£9 billion), not including the enormous environmental and health consequences.

Those major fires weren’t caused solely by drought triggered by El Niño. They were also the result of peat ecosystem damage from deforestation and canal construction, plus land........

© The Conversation