Peat forest Rehabilitation in Central Kalimantan and REDD+: Conflicting Roles of Government Agencies

Peat forests are considered to be one of the largest reserves of terrestrial carbon, and play an important role in storing atmospheric carbon. Indonesia is home to nearly half of the world's tropical peatlands, and as the country with the world’s second-highest deforestation rate (after Brazil), these peatlands are being severely degraded. Deforestation and forest degradation are often entangled with issues of a social, economic or political nature. The Indonesian Government is committed to reducing emissions from deforestation, as well as rehabilitating degraded forest areas. However, as Indonesia’s legislative system is still maturing, policy and regulatory decisions are often made without thorough planning, and frequently conflict with one another. The three levels of government in Indonesia pursue distinct policy agendas and this increases regulatory complexity. This paper uses the former Mega Rice Project area of Central Kalimantan to explore the role of government agencies in the development and implementation of Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD) schemes in Indonesia. The research identifies contradictory regulations and overlaps in the responsibilities of government agencies directly involved in elements of REDD policy, mainly in regard to forest governance and land tenure in project areas.