 wild reserve, an abundance of plants and animals, a natural heritage Indonesia is proud to call its own. The country has more than 20 million hectares of peatlands, equaling 5% of the global peatland area. Peat forms in wetland conditions as an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation. These swampy forests store a third of all soil carbon, playing a key role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Well, peatland is not a nice environment to live. It's not only neglected, but it's politically and management-wise is considered as wasteland or marginal land. So that's why, from the environmental point of view, it has been undervalued. And now, when people are talking about carbon stock, climate change, we suddenly strike on that. This is a huge asset. Thanks to renewed attention, awareness is on the rise about forests' carbon-storing capacity and its potential to slow global warming through a global scheme called the Red Plus, or reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation. But it's an uphill battle against deforestation, driven by growing demands for energy and food. As one of the world's biggest emitters, mainly from deforestation, Indonesia realizes it's time to take action. We in Indonesia will voluntarily reduce our greenhouse gas emission by 26% from business as usual levels by 2020. In this regard, although our peat swamp forests are the largest in the world, they have suffered degradations. That has greatly diminished their capacity to reduce CO2 emission. Restoration is therefore very essential. The president set up a special agency called the Red Plus Task Force and issued a two-year moratorium on new licenses on primary forests and peatlands. This strengthens two previous regulations, banning development on peatlands of more than three metres deep. The moratorium itself provides the momentum for the improvement in the forest governance. Actually, we set up a new way of collaboration that could enable us to come to that end. In Indonesia's westernmost province of Arche, the protection for peatlands and collaboration among government agencies are up for a test. Reports came from the field of deliberate and systematic attempts at land clearance using fires in Rauatripa, 62,000 hectares of peatland in Arche. The purpose of making sure that the forest and peatlands have been built since the end of 2007. Then, the community supported many of the peatlands, including the LSM in Arche. They also formed the TKPRT, a coalition of Rauatripa and Wali, who also joined the TKPRT group. Red Plus became the avenue for these voices to be heard. Four years after the NGOs started their campaign, relevant agencies reacted swiftly, getting together to set the next steps and dispatching a team on the ground to assess the damages. Where they found shocking evidence of forest fires that violated permit and land use regulations. The Ministry of the Interior showed that there was no way to make a decision. Thirdly, there was a strong indication that the environment was affected by forest fires. The Red Plus Task Force coordinated with the police, the Ministry of Forestry, the Ministry of Environment, as well as with the local governments and other stakeholders, making urgent remedial actions. Within nine months, a court decision came out, revoking a previously awarded permit to convert a part of Rauatripa swamps. In Rauatripa, local residents complain of how life has changed for the worst, caused by damages from the peatland destruction. It's not just human lives that are affected. The NGO Walhi reports that up to 100 orangutans died as a result of land clearing activities in Rauatripa. Now, only around 200 orangutans remain. The need to restore these peatlands is more urgent than ever. The government and the people are also concerned. In the forest clearing activities, for example, in Karet, there is a forest farm. We have a forest farm here. There is a forest farm program. Forest farm for the people. Here, the people are concerned. This is an example of a forest farm. This is an example of a forest farm. This means that the local government, the local government's desire, the support from the forest, the support from the forest, we have to show it to other government, other professionals, who are concerned. For policymakers, Rauatripa has served as a learning ground full of valuable lessons on how to improve governance, including license reviews and law enforcement. We need to show it to the public. The law can be applied to every corporation, to everybody, that violates the laws and regulations. We need to ensure there is also a strong deterrent effect. Because by using the proper tools of law enforcement, then the law can send the signal of deterrent, message deterrent effect. We are racing against time to conserve the environment in Aceh, especially Indonesia and other parts of the world. You have to educate people, start from the children, from the house, in the village level, in the school, and of course to the city at large. What it means to have beautiful tropical forest that we have in Aceh and Indonesia. Protecting Indonesia's peatlands and improving forest governance is not just about slowing climate change. It's also about protecting the wealth of biodiversity, water, air, and people's livelihoods. It's a catalyst for global change that begins right here at home.