How do local people position peatlands in livelihoods? Focusing on life histories in R Village, Riau, Indonesia

In response to the escalating land and forest fires in Indonesian peatlands, the Indonesian government has promoted initiatives aimed at sustainable peatland management through community participation. However, fostering motivation for sustainable peatland management may prove challenging due to the unsuitability of peatlands for agriculture and their marginal position in local livelihoods. To elucidate the position of peatlands in the livelihoods of local communities, the authors conducted a life history survey of 30 households in R Village, Riau Province, Indonesia, with a focus on external factors influencing peatland use, employment structures, land transactions, and land accumulation. The findings revealed that the primary livelihood of these households had shifted from logging to agricultural daily labor or loading/unloading activities. Concerning peatland-related livelihoods, households were less inclined to utilize peatland directly for agriculture and more likely to engage with it indirectly. Notably, households owning only peatland tended to be less reliant on agriculture compared to those owning both peatland and mineral soil land (hereafter, non-peatland). The economic value of peatland was found to be lower than that of non-peatland. Regarding land transactions and accumulation, the number of landless households increased in the early 2000s as more peatland was transferred to absentee landlords. Consequently, creating incentives for sustainable peatland management based on community participation is challenging when peatlands are perceived as having a low status in local livelihoods. This study suggests that the policy itself, predicated on community participation, is fraught with challenges.