Presented by Johan Kieft (Lead Technical Adviser at UN Environment UN-REDD Programme in Indonesia) at "Webinar: If forests and peatlands disappeared, would humanity survive?", 21 August 2019.

1. FIRE: THE CHALLENGE TO SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT OF TROPICAL PEATLANDS
By: Johan Kieft, Lead Technical Adviser at UN Environment
UN-REDD Programme in Indonesia

2. Damage of 2015: WHY DO WE CARE?
2.6 Million ha
burned
Inadequate support
33% burnt area –
peatland
90% haze – peat fires
Occurrence in 14
districts
Frequency of fires
on the rise
Peatland
disturbance in
Sumatra and
Kalimantan
+/- $16.1 Billion
effect
Haze disrupted
transport, trade and
tourism
Aerial resources $300
million
22,000 military and
police troops
$151 Million
spent
100,300 people
died across Indonesia,
Malaysia and
Singapore
500,000+ cases of
acute respiratory
infections
2020 target
Zero Wild Fires
Restore peatlands
 Halt development
and drainage
 Prevention-focused
fire & peat
management
Community based
fire prevention
Integrated Fire
Management
Create capacity
across the landscape

3. Sub surface peat
fuels
= 1000’s t/ha
Phase 1 - Within 1 hour of surface fire passing, standing trees start falling over
due to the friable soils no longer being able to support the root
structures. Surface fuels thus increase to over 150 tons per hectare
Vertical live fuel
becomes horizontal
dead fuel >150 t/ha
Source: Wilson et al, 2016
Fire behaviour degraded peat-phase 1
Peat Fire behaviour : Why does peat burn more than regular forests?

4. Sub surface peat fuels
= 1000’s t/ha
Phase 2 - The now horizontal trees start dropping their leaves as they die
Source: Wilson et al, 2016
Vertical live fuel
becomes horizontal
dead fuel >150 t/ha
Fire behaviour - Phase 2

5. Sub surface peat fuels
= 1000’s t/ha
Phase 3 - The new surface fuel layer ignites from the sub-surface fires within 3 to
12 hours after the trees fall over
Source: Wilson et al, 2016
Vertical live fuel
becomes horizontal
dead fuel >150 t/ha
Fire behaviour - Phase 3

6. Sub surface peat fuels
= 1000’s t/ha
Phase 4 - The surface fuels now burn very intensely, are self-sustaining and
widespread
Source: Wilson et al, 2016
Vertical live fuel
becomes horizontal
dead fuel >150 t/ha
Fire behaviour - Phase 4

7. Phase 5 - High intensity surface fires increase the coverage area and depth of sub-
surface fires, causing full peat depth burns, even below ground water level
Sub surface peat fuels
= 1000’s t/ha
Source: Wilson et al, 2016
Vertical live fuel
becomes horizontal
dead fuel >150 t/ha
Fire behaviour - Phase 5

8. Phase 6 - Finally, the burning peat is self sustaining, causing full peat depth burns
to the underlaying acid sulphate pyrite layer which turned land acid .
Fire goes out when fuel is exhausted. Surface level subsides to new level
New surface level
May fill with water (acidic)
Source: Wilson et al, 2016
Sub surface peat fuels
= 1000’s t/ha
Fire behaviour - Phase 6

9. IFM – INTEGRATED FIRE MANAGEMENT
What are we doing to help?