Southeast Asia has almost 15% of the world’s tropical forests but the highest rate of deforestation in the tropics. Anthropogenic drivers are the leading cause of deforestation through the conversion of forests for food production and the expansion of human settlement, especially in Indonesia, which accounts for almost two-thirds of Southeast Asia’s forest loss (62%), followed by Malaysia (17%), Myanmar (5%) and Cambodia (5%).

At the same time, research has highlighted the carbon storage potential of Southeast Asia’s forests. Not only do intact forests in Southeast Asia have the highest aboveground carbon density of tropical forests globally, but degraded and damaged forests have been found to recover carbon stocks at accelerated rates through targeted reforestation programs. This potentially opens up public and private sector opportunities to meet climate change mitigation goals by investing in high-quality, nature-based carbon credits through avoided deforestation (protecting existing forest sinks) and afforestation (developing new and enhancing existing sinks), investments that stand to enhance the integrity of Singapore’s nascent Climate Impact X (CIX).  

Our research aims to contribute to ongoing efforts to improve the efficacy and inclusiveness of governing aboveground forest carbon stocks through a specific focus on developing knowledge about the governance of intact forest nature-based carbon sinks, and degraded forests and its recovery. 

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Coastal and Freshwater Ecosystems

Peatlands and Agricultural Soils

Systems, Technologies and Social Relations