Peatland in Merauke
Merauke has about 80.3 thousand ha of peatland on the Ministry of Agriculture's peat map, 1.8% of its area.
Depth and function
The Ministry of Environment and Forestry's 1:50,000 peat ecosystem function map covers 498 ha of peat here. 0 ha is designated for protection, mostly because the peat is deeper than 3 metres, and 498 ha for cultivation. The deepest peat on record here reaches 2 metres.
| Class | Area | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Shallow (0.5–1 m) | 300 ha | 60.2% |
| Moderate (1–2 m) | 198 ha | 39.8% |
Peat hydrological units (KHG)
This area touches 9 peat hydrological units (KHG) with detailed boundaries. A KHG is one peat ecosystem between two rivers, or between a river and the sea, managed as a unit under Government Regulation 57/2016.
- KHG.91.01.01
- KHG.91.01.02
- KHG.91.01.04
- KHG.91.01.06
- KHG.91.01.07
- KHG.91.01.08
- KHG.91.01.09
- KHG.91.01.11
- KHG.91.01.16
Fires on peat
Since 2012 the VIIRS satellites have recorded 4,632 heat detections on peat in this area. The worst year was 2015, with 1,352.
Since 7 October 2026: 136 confirmed fires on peat, from six-sensor satellite monitoring that started that day.
352 fires are active in this area right now, 7 of them on peat.
Official hazard maps
KLHK forest and land fire hazard map (1:250,000)
| Very high | 779 ha | 0% |
| High | 560.5 thousand ha | 12.7% |
| Moderate | 3.54 million ha | 80.5% |
| Low | 289 thousand ha | 6.6% |
Updated 16 October 2026.