Katingan Peatland Conservation REDD+, Indonesia

Located in Indonesian Borneo, known as Kalimantan, this project protects nearly 150,000 hectares of peatland ecosystems. It is surrounded by villages for which it supports traditional livelihoods including farming, fishing, and non-timber forest products harvesting. Without carbon finance, the area would likely be converted for industrial plantations.

Tropical peatlands store massive amounts of carbon, with stocks below the ground making up to 20 times the amount stored in trees and vegetation. When cleared, drained and burned to make way for plantations and other developments, this carbon is released into the atmosphere along with other greenhouse gases.

The area stores vast amounts of carbon and plays a vital role in stabilizing water flows, preventing devastating peat fires, enriching soil nutrients and providing clean water. It is rich in biodiversity, being home to large populations of many high conservation value species, including some of the world’s most endangered; such as the Bornean Orangutan and Proboscis Monkey.

In addition to delivering emission reductions to help take urgent action to combat climate change (SDG 13), the project delivers a number of other sustainable development benefits:

• No Poverty: Increases both earnings and financial savings per family per week
• Good Health and Well-being: Increases access to safe water and sanitation facilities
• Gender Equality: Increases employment opportunities for women
• Clean Water and Sanitation: Increases access to safe water and sanitation facilities
• Decent Work and Economic Growth: Increases full-time employment opportunities
• Life on Land: Decreases degraded land area and increases sustainable forest management
• Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions: Increases proportion of population in inclusive and responsive decision making
• Partnerships for the Goals: Increases financial resources for developing countries