(Opinion) Toward a Haze-Free ASEAN: Private Financing for Peatland Restoration
2016-10-11 09:03:08 source：RSIS
October 10, 2016
"Synopsis
Restoring degraded peatland requires immense financial commitment from the state budget and private sector investment. The governments at the national and regional levels have to address terms to upscale private finance for peatland restoration.
Commentary
ON 21 SEPTEMBER 2016, the World Economic Forum (WEF) and the Peatland Restoration Agency (PRA) of Indonesia jointly organised a Peatland Investment Dialogue to discuss a potential business opportunity for the private sector. Companies could invest in the national effort to restore two million hectares (ha) of degraded peatland. Restoration is a comprehensive effort to repair the peatland’s hydrological and vegetation condition to revive its primary ecosystem functions. Therefore, to restore degraded peatland, not only ecological treatment such as rewetting and revegetation are essential but also the development of livelihood options that will allow sustainable use of the land.
Successful peatland restoration is an important key to achieving a haze-free ASEAN by 2020. The comprehensive approach to peatland restoration requires not only a high political pledge and harmonious policies to be set in place, but also intensive financial commitment. Thus, the effort of governing and restoring peatland requires the active participation of non-state actors including the private sector through mobilisation of financial support and investment. On what terms can private finance be mobilised to upscale peatland restoration?"
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