Mapping socio-ecological vulnerability of tropical peat landscape fires

Fire represents a mainstay for rural communities managing tropical landscapes. However, increasing uncontrolled fires in tropical landscapes because of land use and climate change pose a major threat to livelihoods, public health, and ecosystems. Peatlands in Southeast Asia are one such example of tropical landscapes that experience high flammability due to clearance of forests and excessive drainage for agriculture and forestry. The degradation of tropical peatland ecosystems increases their susceptibility to landscapes fires, which in turn increase the vulnerability of people and peatland conditions to future fires. To identify locations of tropical peatlands and surrounding communities that are vulnerable to fires, we conducted a socio-ecological vulnerability assessment and mapped the socio-ecological vulnerability of tropical peatlands to fires. We used an inductive approach to conceptualize and operationalize vulnerability and its associated dimensions of exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity through empirical case studies in the literature, with a focus on tropical peatlands and fires in Indonesia. We present preliminary results of our mapped social and ecological vulnerability of Indonesia’s tropical peatlands to peat landscape fires. This would allow policymakers to identify places which display both high ecological and social vulnerability to fires and channel aid and mitigation efforts where they are most urgently needed.