 The fires that recently swept across large parts of Indonesia's natural landscapes may have been doused for now, but experts warn the fires will likely return in as little as two months, unless major changes are made to how the land is used. The causes of the fires are extremely complex, so solutions must involve people from all areas, from the highest government levels to big business and villagers living off the land. Scientists from the Center for International Forestry Research, C4, are looking at the causes and how the underlying politics and the economy play a role. The focus of the three-year study is in Riau on the island of Sumatra, the source of the toxic haze that spread to neighboring countries. That's where a recent workshop was held with local government and community members to discuss solutions. In first year, there are several findings on the biophysical, social and political economy that we need to communicate and also to get some input on what to do for the next two years. Harry Pernomo says it's vital that both the government and the private sector understand the political economy behind the fire and haze. Here we collected data from NASA for 15 years actually for the whole Kalimantan and Sumatra and we found that a year before election, in those years since 2000-2015, the fire is very high. Just one year before election. We wondered if there is a land politic to attract people to food. Where the fire is burned and who owns the land is another part of the team's research. This included a detailed analysis of the 2013 fires. With the combination of drones and satellites, we find that yes, over half of burning is on idle land, but we also find that about 35% of burning, so more than a third, has actually burned productive plantations of oil palm and acacia. So if you translate this to per hectare, it means that for each hectare of idle land, which is being burned, which is being cleaned by burning in preparation of planting, there's more than half a hectare of productive plantation that is also burning. David Gavaud says this data shows that this expansion of mainly oil palm is not sustainable. Another aspect of the research is looking at what local community members and regional and national government officials see as a solution, and uncovering gaps between them. It shows that there is no consensus between stakeholders on a way forward. So there is no strong solution which comes through, on which there's agreement between all. Finding that consensus and making sure that all those affected understand the consequences of the continuing business as usual is key. We are building a system of governance, which is transparent and open. Then we have accountable, which can be answered, and also gives a role to how the academic, scientific, and civil society can give color to the government's government policy. Decisions that include restoring peatlands that have been drained via canals so oil palm can be planted. These areas catch fire easily, and prevention of fires is the only way to stop further destruction. So the steps that we have to take, first, we have to improve the structure model. The structure model is like building a block. Then, we have to improve the social and social development of the fire. We want every village that is there to do as much as possible. The research team is also training local community members so they do not have to rely on old-fashioned slash-and-burn methods. We need to provide significant likelihood for the local community, not for them not to use a fire as a tool for agricultural development. Otherwise, it's nothing. People continue using fire. You only provide a non-significant likelihood. Harry Pernomo says community firefighters also need more support so they can protect the land. This includes protected areas like the Conservation Center in Rio where firefighters use elephants to patrol remote areas and help prevent further blazes. It's clear from the research that small grassroots initiatives are needed in the short term. But to put a stop to the fire and haze once and for all, major changes at all levels is needed before Indonesia can truly breathe easy.