Conversation: One of the worlds major terrestrial carbon pools is rapidly deteriorating as large parts of Indonesias peatlands are deforested and converted to oil palm and paper plantations. No longer a carbon sink, Indonesias peatlands are now a globally significant source of emissions.
The June fires in Sumatra once again drew international attention to Indonesias forests. At the fires' peak, 140,000 hectares were burnt in just one week.
Most fires were in peatland, much of it on land destined to become...