Peatland restoration and conservation in Indonesia

The Katingan Mentaya Project is reinforcing frontline readiness through a Forest and Land Firefighting Skills Competition.

The competition, organised as part of National Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Month 2026, involved 52 personnel across nine teams representing RMU’s operational zones.

The competition doubled as a hands-on evaluation platform — testing response speed, technical handling, and storage systems to pinpoint exactly where teams can sharpen their edge.

Through this close collaboration between the private sector and government, the Katingan Mentaya Project continues to advance integrated fire prevention — protecting the landscape, safeguarding communities, and building long-term climate resilience.

The project delivers strong biodiversity co-benefits, protecting 56 species classified as vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered on the IUCN Red List. Among them, the project safeguards one of the world's most significant populations of Bornean orangutans — a critically endangered keystone species that plays a vital role in maintaining forest health and biodiversity.

An estimated 5% of all remaining Bornean orangutans reside within the project area. As they move between fruit trees and feed on forest plants, orangutans perform a crucial ecological function: dispersing seeds, facilitating forest regeneration, and supporting structural diversity — all of which strengthen forest resilience. In turn, a biodiverse, healthy forest delivers enhanced carbon storage capacity, regulates local hydrological cycles, and supports a wide range of dependent species.

In 2025, the The Katingan Mentaya Project was upgraded from an A to AA rating by BeZero, following the publication of two new reports - the SDG Impact Report and the Fire Management and Mitigation Report. An AA rating indicates a high degree of confidence that the carbon credits issued represent a real, measurable unit of avoided or removed greenhouse gas emissions. This assessment reflects the continued success of the project's ecosystem restoration activities, strength in terms of fire management and mitigation.

01 January 2020 – 31 December 2023 Monitoring Period

• 8 new canals were targeted for rewetting between 2020 and 2023, with 17 canal blocks constructed to support hydrological restoration.

• 6,727 community members participated in structured decision-making activities; 80 MoUs signed with 34 villages since 2015.

• No large-scale fires recorded across 149,800 ha; 1,380 community members trained in fire response and awareness.

• Over 7,800 people have improved incomes, 1,200 women have benefited economically, and 366 people have gained full-time jobs.

Verified under the Verra Climate, Community & Biodiversity (CCB) Standard.

• The start of the Katingan project