Gambut Kita (Our Peatlands) is a 4-year research-for-development project between the governments of Indonesia and Australia. This bilateral aid project is designed to provide support to the Indonesian Government in its efforts to protect and restore peatlands.
Our Vision is for the successful restoration and protection of Indonesian peatlands through collaborative agricultural and forestry research to improve community fire management and livelihood options.
The Gambut Kita project aims to reduce unwanted peatland fires through generation of new knowledge and capacity to underpin peatland restoration and develop gender-inclusive sustainable livelihoods for men and women living in and around restored peatlands.
Our research is seeking to identify improved community fire management and sustainable livelihood options that can reduce the number and intensity of peat fires.
Our case studies focus on the regency of Pulang Pisau district in Central Kalimantan, and the regency of Ogan Komering Ilir (OKI) district in South Sumatra. These two regencies are the primary locations for the project’s field activities.
This large, interdisciplinary project builds on partnerships both within the Australian team (CSIRO, Australian National University, RMIT University and University of the Sunshine Coast) and with the Indonesian partner organisations (FOERDIA, Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation, Yayasan Tambuhak Sinta, Bogor Agricultural University and University of Palangka Raya).
The lead agencies for the project are Indonesia’s Forestry and Environment Research and Development Agency (FOERDIA), together with Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO). The project formally commenced in November 2017 and is currently scheduled to conclude in November 2021.
