It was a proud moment for Indonesia at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Bonn, Germany, in November 2017, when world leaders, including former United States vice president Al Gore, praised Indonesia’s efforts to restore and protect peatland to mitigate climate change.

Such efforts, led by President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, are indeed strategic and critical, especially in the aftermath of the 2015 forest fires that mostly occurred in carbon-rich peatland.

The fires led to 19 casualties, 500,000 people suffering from acute respiratory infections, disruption of classes for over 4 million students for a month and estimated losses of over Rp 220 trillion. The fires also released 1.62 billion metric tons of greenhouse gases, equivalent to emissions from nearly 350,000 vehicles throughout the year.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post.