Indonesian Embassy Facilitates NUS – NERI & IPB Workshop on Tropical Peatlands and Climate Threats 

Facilitated by the Indonesian Embassy in Singapore, INtegrated Tropical Peatlands REsearch Programme (INTPREP) through National University of Singapore (NUS) Environmental Research Institute (NERI) and Institut Pertanian Bogor (IPB) organised a workshop to publicise its research on restoration science in tropical peatlands on 19 May 2023. The workshop showcased INTPREP’s unique strategy of using integrated sciences through studies at various scales from kilometres (aerial surveys) to nanometres (molecular studies) to develop effective solutions for restoring degraded peatlands. Comprising of over 20 researchers and field staff, INTPREP’s strength in drawing stakeholders from academia and industry led to the formation of significant partnerships and study sites with our Industry Partners, Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) and Asia Pacific Resources International Limited (APRIL). This workshop brought together stakeholders from government agencies, academia, and industry with an interest in the sustainability of tropical peatlands to share results, to garner ideas and support for INTPREP’s plans for the future.

As we continue to develop our Science to effect greater impact on peatlands restoration, INTPRPEP is geared towards furthering its integrated approach in the coming years. While we continue our scientific approach to understand ecological transitions in the larger ecosystem, we will tie our scientific research and solutions to practical benefits. Impacts of our restoration solutions will be formally assessed via socio-economic frameworks relevant to Indonesia. Studying ecological transitions along the inland-coastal-sea transects is crucial to understanding the mechanisms of plant growth in the face of climate threats. Our science has the potential to tell us how and when to conduct the restoration process such that plant growth and establishment are maximised. Nature-based restoration solutions developed from the intersects of long-term monitoring of environmental parameters and genomic surveys of plants and microorganisms will be piloted in large-scaled plots with efforts from the local community and industry. Results provide a constant feedback loop to our sciences to further enhance our restoration solutions. Measurable impacts resulting from INTRPEP’s research will be shared as it commences large-scale studies based on its learnings from an integrated science approach.