Lectio praecursoria: Fire, peat, and power: governing socio-environmental change in Indonesia’s oil palm frontier

Abstract

During my doctoral defence at Department of Geography and Historical Studies, University of Eastern Finland on 9th of December 2023, I introduced doctoral research with the present lectio praecursoria. This lectio examines how peatland governance unfolds in the context of recurrent fires and rapid agrarian transformation in Sumatra, Indonesia. Tropical peatlands are among the most significant global carbon stores, yet they have become highly vulnerable to fire, particularly in Indonesia where large-scale burning events in 2014, 2015, and 2019 affected millions of hectares. The study explores four interrelated dimensions: the transformation of peatlands into oil palm plantations and the changing configurations of property rights; the shifting responsibilities and relationships between advocacy and service Environmental Non-Governmental Organisations (ENGOs); the capacities mobilised by multiple actors to generate collaborative governance; and the conditions under which conflicts over peatland water management may shift towards collaboration. Drawing on a qualitative case study approach in Riau Province, the research combines participant observations, interviews, document analysis, and spatial analysis to examine governance practices across scales. The findings reveal that peatland transformation is not only a material process but also a reconfiguration of property regimes, often moving from formal state control to de facto open access, with significant implications for fire use and land management. At the same time, the responsibilization of non-state actors has reshaped the roles of ENGOs, generating both cooperation and tensions rooted in unequal resources and constrained autonomy. The study further shows that collaborative governance emerges through everyday practices of coordination, knowledge sharing, and resource mobilisation, as illustrated by community-based fire management initiatives. Finally, it highlights how uncertainty, interdependence, and the role of convener can enable shifts from conflict to collaboration in peatland water governance.