As fires spread across South Sumatra in 2015, Mongabay Indonesia contributor Taufik Wijaya documented threats to the province’s peatlands and the concerns of communities living alongside them. His coverage explored both the damage and a question central to preventing further fires: what role should local people play in managing these landscapes?
In September 2015, Taufik reported on then President Joko Widodo’s visit to forest fire-hit South Sumatra, where government officials promised to investigate which companies deserved to have their permits revoked and a conservationist called for greater community management of peatlands to reduce fire outbreaks.
Later that month, he and Mongabay Indonesia’s managing editor Sapariah Saturi, reported on farmers’ demands for stronger land rights and their stated readiness to protect forests and peatlands from fire. Taufik returned to the issue in 2016, reporting that residents continued to dig drainage canals that dried the peat and left it vulnerable to burning during the dry season. His coverage also examined community fire patrols and calls to expand their reach.
Impact
Taufik’s persistent coverage of peatland degradation contributed to the policy discussions that led to South Sumatra’s Provincial Regulation No. 1/2018 on Peat Ecosystem Protection and Management, according to Najib Asmani, former chair of the provincial Peat Restoration Team.
Taufik also contributed beyond his journalism. Najib confirmed that he was an active member of the team in 2016-2017, participating in fieldwork and community dialogue and helping propose the regulation. Adiosyafri, program and campaign manager at Hutan Kita Institute, said Taufik’s reporting increased and encouraged public understanding of peat swamps’ importance for communities and livelihoods, and that the work remains essential.
The regulation continued to underpin South Sumatra’s peatland restoration efforts years later, providing a legal basis for the Peatland Restoration Assistance Team established in 2025, which operates under the direct coordination of South Sumatra’s governor.
This case shows how sustained environmental reporting can contribute to policymaking alongside fieldwork and community dialogue. By documenting peatland damage and residents’ concerns, Taufik’s reporting helped inform discussions about how the province should protect and manage these ecosystems.
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Banner image: Caption: An oil palm plantation burns in Riau, Indonesia. Photo by Rhett A. Butler