Sustainability Evaluation of Regency Development in Peatland Areas of Riau Province, Indonesia

The sustainable development of peatland ecosystems is imperative due to their susceptibility to climate change. This study evaluates the sustainability of regency development in the peatland areas of Riau Province, Indonesia, utilizing the rapid appraisal technique combined with the Rapfish multidimensional scaling (MDS) algorithm. Critical attributes influencing sustainability were identified, including the Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) in the agriculture, forestry, and fisheries sectors, unemployment rates, GRDP growth rates, environmental conservation efforts, community involvement, local wisdom, occurrence of peat fires, and groundwater level stations. The findings indicate that the sustainability status of regencies in peatland areas predominantly falls between less and moderately sustainable. Consequently, an urgent need exists to accelerate the implementation of new development paradigms, such as green and low-carbon development strategies, to achieve sustainable development goals in peatland regions effectively. Enhanced policies and practices are required to address the identified sustainability dimensions, fostering resilience and promoting long-term ecological balance.