Peatlands, particularly in Indonesia, are among the world’s most vital ecosystems, storing vast amounts of carbon. Indonesia houses 36% of the world’s tropical peatlands, yet these ecosystems are rapidly being destroyed for plantation agriculture, including oil palm and acacia.

The Katingan Mentaya Project (KMP) is a tropical peatland forest protection and restoration project in Central Kalimantan Province of Indonesia, on the island of Borneo. The project was enacted to prevent the planned conversion of the forest area to industrial-scale acacia plantations, preventing the release of greenhouse gas emissions that would have occurred had the project not intervened.

The project area covers 157,875 hectares of land, divided into two ecosystem restoration concession licences. The wider project zone represents the extent of the area in which the project activities are implemented.

The Katingan Project’s goal is to protect and restore the peatland ecosystem; to offer local people sustainable sources of income; and to tackle global climate change.