Indonesia’s Peatland Fires Threaten to Unleash Massive Carbon Bombs

Indonesia is grappling with a severe wildfire crisis.

Compounding the situation, a so-called “Super El Niño” has intensified drought conditions, leading to thousands of active fire hotspots spreading rapidly across the nation, fueling a transnational haze crisis that represents the region’s worst in over a decade.

The fires in Borneo are especially alarming due to their encroachment into one of the world’s largest tropical peatland ecosystems.

Spanning 4.5 million hectares, this vast expanse of forest and swamp normally acts as a crucial carbon sink.

When ignited, these peatlands can discharge millions of tons of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and methane into the atmosphere—a sudden surge of greenhouse gas emissions that has earned them the nickname “carbon bomb.”

“Peatlands are highly efficient carbon repositories due to their waterlogged environment, which slows decomposition and allows carbon to build up underground over millennia,” says Dr. Nisa Novita, a peatland expert at the Indonesian conservation group Yayasan Konservasi Alam Nusantara (YKAN).

“However, this also makes them a ‘carbon bomb’ when disturbed or ignited, as the stored carbon can quickly be released into the atmosphere.”

“Indonesia’s tropical peatlands rank among the planet’s most prolific natural carbon stores. The deeper the peat layer, the richer the carbon content—with some areas in Kalimantan featuring peat deposits exceeding 20 meters in depth.”

Such deep peat layers can hold upwards of 6,000 tons of carbon per hectare, equivalent to the yearly CO₂ output of approximately 4,800 vehicles. When ignited, explains Dr. Nisa, this ancient carbon is released “very swiftly.”

Source link