Photographer Björn Vaughn experienced the 2015 peatland burning crisis in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia. This is his account of the day-to-day reality for those on the ground, produced in collaboration with ongoing research into fire and haze by the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR): https://www2.cifor.org/fire-and-haze/
Peatland fires pose considerable risks to the environment, society and economy in Indonesia. Yet their prevalence is increasing, driven by demand for agricultural land and changing climate regimes, among other factors. One component of CIFOR’s research into pathways toward sustainable and fire-free futures is to better understand contested stakeholder perceptions about the fires, specifically how different stakeholders prioritize the benefits, burdens and solutions to peat fires.
Here we highlight the infringements to daily life caused by the fires – a burden that unites otherwise diverse stakeholders in shared concern.
Read more on CIFOR’s Forests News: http://blog.cifor.org/44089/living-in-a-toxic-haze?fnl=en
This research was supported by DFID KnowFor and forms part of the CGIAR Research Program on Forests, Trees and Agroforestry.
Narration and images: Björn Vaughn
Additional stills and footage: Aulia Erlangga
Production and editing: Shelley Thakral, Edliadi Mokhamad, Catriona Croft-Cusworth, Rachel Carmenta