PhD confirmation of candidacy: ‘The role of non-state actors in navigating ecosystem restoration projects in Central Kalimantan’s peatlands, Indonesia’

Ecosystem restoration has been adopted in Indonesia to address forest and land degradation. While technical approaches in restoration have expanded to improve practice, they often reinforce existing power structures, leading to uneven social impacts. Concerns have also been raised about the long-term sustainability and broader impacts of restoration projects. Non-state actors play a crucial role in bridging technical knowledge and community interest especially where state capacity is limited. However, their roles and impacts remain poorly understood. This research investigates the intermediary roles of non-state actors in implementing ecosystem restoration projects amid ongoing pressures of deforestation and forest degradation in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia. By examining two restoration projects modalities led by NGOs and the private sector, this study explores: How do different non-state actors shape the application and acceptance of ecosystem restoration projects? What effects result from their role in sustaining these projects? Combining a multi-sited approach with patchwork ethnography, this research follows mobile intermediary actors, embraces short-term field visits, and values fragmented data. Moving beyond predominant technical approaches, it aims to deepen understanding of ecosystem restoration as a complex socio-political process, informing evidence-based, inclusive, equitable, and context-sensitive policymaking of ecosystem restoration.

Bio:

Bimo Dwi Satrio earned a degree in Environmental Management and Development degree from the Crawford School of Public Policy back in 2017. Before pursuing his PhD, he worked as Senior Research Officer for REDD+ Indonesia at CIFOR-ICRAF and led an ACIAR project on collaborative governance in peatlands. His research interests focus on climate change governance in tropical forest landscapes, particularly the intersection of policy, local knowledge, and environmental management.