May 08, 2025
Brad Sanders, Head of Operations at Restorasi Ekosistem Riau (RER), spoke at a policy dialogue hosted by the ASEAN Secretariat, in partnership with the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR). The main aim of the session was to explore the opportunities and challenges associated with financing and resourcing sustainable peatlands.
The policy dialogue meeting was entitled ‘Towards a Haze-Free Southeast Asia: Mobilizing Resources for Sustainable Land Management’. Through a series of presentations and group discussions, attendees examined issues around resource mobilization for sustainable peatland management. Brad Sanders was one of several speakers to contribute their experience to the dialogue.
Long-term Landscape Restoration at Scale
“Our experience with Restorasi Ekosistem Riau (RER) shows that it is possible to integrate long-term landscape restoration at scale into a responsible business model that can serve climate, nature and people,” noted Sanders during his speech at the event. “We believe the RER project is a good example of what can be achieved when you combine science, best practice in forestry and land management and the right level of corporate resources,” he added.
Sanders went on to share several key updates on the progress achieved by the RER project over the past decade in effectively managing an area of forest on the east coast of Sumatra that is roughly equal in size – about 150,000 hectares – to greater London. In particular, the RER project has seen zero fire incidents, limited encroachment, and an increasing number of species recorded in the RER as a result of continuous biodiversity monitoring surveys.
Fire Prevention for a Haze-free Southeast Asia
Fire prevention strategies are especially important for peatland conservation. During the dialogue session, Sanders highlighted that RER uses satellite imagery and ground-based patrols to monitor and prevent deforestation and forest degradation, while also conducting daily fire hazard assessments through weather monitoring of rainfall, humidity, and fuel condition. These approaches have been particularly successful over the last decade of RER operations in Riau.
“The success of our fire management strategy can be seen in the absence of fire incidents in the RER concessions since 2014,” said Sanders, who is determined to remain vigilant in this approach: “To ensure we are prepared for fire threats, RER maintains a two-pronged approach that includes actively engaging local communities in fire prevention efforts and having the capability to effectively respond to a fire at the earliest possible stage.”
Highlights From the Discussion
Below are a series of highlights from Sanders’ speech, delivered during the policy dialogue meeting in Jakarta last November:
Other speakers on the panel included Serena Lew Siew Yan, Peatland Program Manager at the Global Environment Center; Swetha Peteru, CIFOR; and Azalea Ayuningtyas, co-founder and CEO of Krealogi. The panel was moderated by Gina Sara Melati of SEA Today.
About Restorasi Ekosistem Riau
Established in 2013, the RER program represents an innovative effort by APRIL to undertake direct responsibility for the restoration and conservation of degraded peatland forests in Indonesia’s Riau Province. This initiative underscores a significant shift in corporate land management, moving beyond minimum legal compliance to taking an active role in ecosystem management.
By integrating scientific research, best practices in forestry, and corporate technical and financial resources, RER aims to restore ecological balance while delivering tangible benefits to climate, nature, and local communities.
