CASE STUDY

An innovation prize spotlights a novel approach to protecting Indonesian peatlands

Carbon-sequestering peatlands are a crucial ecosystem in the global fight against climate change. We helped an Indonesian conservation agency bring scientists from around the world together to design a method of mapping peat depth—a missing piece needed to identify areas most in need of conservation.

In brief

The big picture

The problem
For decades, Indonesia’s forests and peatlands have suffered devastating annual wildfires, releasing massive amounts of carbon into the atmosphere, impacting the country’s economy and biodiversity, and affecting human health throughout the region.

To prevent and fight fires effectively, the landscape they are affecting must be understood deeply. Indonesia’s peatlands, in particular, are vast and poorly mapped, making it nearly impossible to predict fire patterns or direct firefighting resources effectively. Indonesia’s geospatial information agency, Badan Informasi Geospasial (BIG) is the organization faced with this enormous task. Its leaders approached us to design an innovation prize that would accelerate the mapping process.

Our approach

• Step 1

• Step 2

• Step 3

The results