Jakarta (ANTARA) - Peatland restoration conducted by the Peatland Restoration Agency (BRG) in seven provinces has helped reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 53.7 million gigatons of equivalent carbon dioxide (GtCO2e), BRG deputy of research and development, Haris Gunawan, said.

"During 2016-2019, we have reduced gas emission by 301 million GtCO2e. It's a significant amount," Gunawan said on the sidelines of BRG research and development exposure here on Thursday.

The agency has carried out its restoration program, which includes rewetting, revegetation, and revitalization, in seven provinces of Riau, Jambi, South Sumatra, West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, South Kalimantan, and Papua, he informed.

BRG was set up by President Joko Widodo's administration in 2016 to speed up the recovery of the peatland hydrological function, which had been damaged by land and forest fires and draining.

The agency, whose tenure will expire on December 31, 2020, is targeting to restore 2.49 million hectares of peatland, of which 900 thousand hectares are in public land and the remaining are in concession areas. (INE)

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