The tropical rainforests of Kalimantan have long been threatened and increasingly endangered by deforestation and other invasive types of human activity. However, a lesser known ecosystem in the region that is literally coming under fire, is the tropical peat lands, particularly in the central area of the province of Indonesian Borneo.

Peat lands are a common and well-known feature of the natural environment northern latitudes such as Scotland, Ireland and Russia. In fact, close to 80 percent of all peat lands are found in the north. These organic deposits are comprised of partially decayed plant matter that accumulates over time. In Kalimantan, there is a distinctive tropical manifestation of this type of swamp, formed from the accretion of woody debris on the rainforest floor. Organic matter in the form of leaf litter, wood falls and other plant remains too wet to decompose collect in damp mounds that can be as deep as 66 feet (20 meters).

These tropical peat lands, formed over hundreds of years, are giant stores of carbon, which help maintain atmospheric balance of greenhouse gases. In addition, tropical peat lands serve as a natural means of flood control, acting like a sponge to absorb large amounts of rainfall and runoff, and reduce the threat of erosion.

Historically, typical peat bogs have absorbed carbon at much faster rates than their northern counterparts, but inappropriate land use and fires are transforming these carbon sinks into carbon sources. What is more, the remaining peat lands are losing their ability to serve as water buffers. After being logged, drained and burned to make room for agriculture, the peat lands have been left highly vulnerable to fire, leaving other areas at risk for subsequent flooding. While the peat lands absorb carbon, they also function to hold significant amounts of moisture. So as the peat lands are reduced in area, they are losing their water-retentive qualities. The dried-out peat lands in Kalimantan are now perfect fuel for fires.

In recent years, the circumstances compounding the instability of Indonesian Borneo’s peat lands have only intensified. In 1995, the country’s former dictator Suharto introduced the Mega Rice Project, which intended to turn Central Kalimantan into a “rice bowl” for Indonesia. The project called for the logging and draining of approximately 2.5 million acres (1 million hectares) of peat land for conversion into rice paddies.