Abstract: Tropical peatlands are fragile ecosystems with an important role in conserving biodiversity,
water quality and availability, preventing floods, soil intrusion, erosion and sedimentation, and
providing a livelihood for people. However, due to illegal logging, fire and conversion into other
land use, the peatlands in Indonesia are under serious threat. Efforts to restore Indonesia’s tropical
peatlands have been accelerated by the establishment of the Peatland Restoration Agency in early
2016. The restoration action policy includes the rewetting, revegetation and revitalisation of local
livelihood (known as the 3Rs). This paper summarises the regulatory, institutional and planning
aspects of peatland restoration, in addition to the implementation of the 3Rs in Indonesia, including
failures, success stories, and the criteria and indicators for the success of peatland restoration.