IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/lauspo/v131y2023ics0264837723000947.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Time bomb or gold mine? Policy, sustainability and media representations of tropical peatlands in Malaysia

Author

Listed:
  • Padfield, Rory
  • Varkkey, Helena
  • Manzo, Kate
  • Ganesan, Vignaa

Abstract

Tropical peatlands represent an acute site of contested development on the front line of global climate change and action. Media analysis reveals how and why these ecosystems are understood in the context of local and national discourse, and the implications of these representations for peatland policy-making. In this study, we provide an instructive account of media representations of tropical peatlands in Malaysia – a country home to 6% of the world’s tropical peat by area and 12% by magnitude of the peat carbon pool. Set against an examination of the policy context for peatland media representations, we analyse how this critical ecosystem is framed in Malaysian media, and explore how these representations cast light on current sustainability-related policy and management debates. Drawing on media framing methodology, we analysed three English language newspapers (News Straits Times, The Star and Borneo Post) and one popular news website (Malaysiakini) from 1995 to 2018. From a sample of 1359 news articles, we found four dominant frames: development, conservation/protection, sustainable development and fire/haze. Within these frames, a number of key themes emerged including ecological benefits, community livelihoods, threats to peatland, integrated management approaches, and the value of peatland research. Our findings also reveal a polarising representation present across the study period – peatlands portrayed as a ‘time-bomb’ of ecological destruction and as a ‘gold mine’ in terms of their opportunities for development. We argue that contrasting interpretations of the sustainable development of peatlands may serve to obfuscate rather than facilitate current peatland policy discourses. Finally, we conclude that the fate of Malaysian peatlands hinges on recognising the localised challenges faced by peatland communities. We urge policy makers to consider food systems transformation approaches to move beyond a vision that relies entirely on drainage-based development.

Suggested Citation

  • Padfield, Rory & Varkkey, Helena & Manzo, Kate & Ganesan, Vignaa, 2023. "Time bomb or gold mine? Policy, sustainability and media representations of tropical peatlands in Malaysia," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 131(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:lauspo:v:131:y:2023:i:c:s0264837723000947
    DOI: 10.1016/j.landusepol.2023.106628
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264837723000947
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.landusepol.2023.106628?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Yannick Garcin & Enno Schefuß & Greta C. Dargie & Donna Hawthorne & Ian T. Lawson & David Sebag & George E. Biddulph & Bart Crezee & Yannick E. Bocko & Suspense A. Ifo & Y. Emmanuel Mampouya Wenina & , 2022. "Hydroclimatic vulnerability of peat carbon in the central Congo Basin," Nature, Nature, vol. 612(7939), pages 277-282, December.
    2. Forsyth, Tim, 2014. "Public concerns about transboundary haze: a comparison of Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 56043, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    3. Martino, Simone & Kenter, Jasper O. & Albers, Nora & Whittingham, Mark J. & Young, Dylan M. & Pearce-Higgins, James W. & Martin-Ortega, Julia & Glenk, Klaus & Reed, Mark S., 2022. "Trade-offs between the natural environment and recreational infrastructure: A case study about peatlands under different management scenarios," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 123(C).
    4. R. A. Cramb, 2011. "Re-Inventing Dualism: Policy Narratives and Modes of Oil Palm Expansion in Sarawak, Malaysia," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 47(2), pages 274-293.
    5. Rory Padfield & Simon Drew & Khadijah Syayuti & Susan Page & Stephanie Evers & Ahimsa Campos-Arceiz & Nagulendran Kangayatkarasu & Alex Sayok & Sune Hansen & Greetje Schouten & Martha Maulidia & Effie, 2016. "Landscapes in transition: an analysis of sustainable policy initiatives and emerging corporate commitments in the palm oil industry," Landscape Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 41(7), pages 744-756, October.
    6. Stewart Lockie, 2006. "Capturing the Sustainability Agenda: Organic Foods and Media Discourses on Food Scares, Environment, Genetic Engineering, and Health," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 23(3), pages 313-323, October.
    7. Susan E. Page & Florian Siegert & John O. Rieley & Hans-Dieter V. Boehm & Adi Jaya & Suwido Limin, 2002. "The amount of carbon released from peat and forest fires in Indonesia during 1997," Nature, Nature, vol. 420(6911), pages 61-65, November.
    8. Yannick Garcin & Enno Schefuß & Greta C. Dargie & Donna Hawthorne & Ian T. Lawson & David Sebag & George E. Biddulph & Bart Crezee & Yannick E. Bocko & Suspense A. Ifo & Y. Emmanuel Mampouya Wenina & , 2022. "Publisher Correction: Hydroclimatic vulnerability of peat carbon in the central Congo Basin," Nature, Nature, vol. 612(7938), pages 9-9, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Bradley Hiller & Judith Fisher, 2023. "A Multifunctional ‘Scape Approach for Sustainable Management of Intact Ecosystems—A Review of Tropical Peatlands," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-23, January.
    2. Carmenta, Rachel & Cammelli, Federico & Dressler, Wolfram & Verbicaro, Camila & Zaehringer, Julie G., 2021. "Between a rock and a hard place: The burdens of uncontrolled fire for smallholders across the tropics," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 145(C).
    3. Husnain Husnain & I. Wigena & Ai Dariah & Setiari Marwanto & Prihasto Setyanto & Fahmuddin Agus, 2014. "CO 2 emissions from tropical drained peat in Sumatra, Indonesia," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 19(6), pages 845-862, August.
    4. Glasbergen, Pieter, 2018. "Smallholders do not Eat Certificates," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 147(C), pages 243-252.
    5. Domenico Dentoni & Verena Bitzer & Greetje Schouten, 2018. "Harnessing Wicked Problems in Multi-stakeholder Partnerships," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 150(2), pages 333-356, June.
    6. Erika Berenguer & Toby A Gardner & Joice Ferreira & Luiz E O C Aragão & Plínio B Camargo & Carlos E Cerri & Mariana Durigan & Raimundo C Oliveira Junior & Ima C G Vieira & Jos Barlow, 2015. "Developing Cost-Effective Field Assessments of Carbon Stocks in Human-Modified Tropical Forests," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(8), pages 1-19, August.
    7. Jayed, M.H. & Masjuki, H.H. & Kalam, M.A. & Mahlia, T.M.I. & Husnawan, M. & Liaquat, A.M., 2011. "Prospects of dedicated biodiesel engine vehicles in Malaysia and Indonesia," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 15(1), pages 220-235, January.
    8. Sara Fuller, 2020. "Towards a politics of urban climate responsibility: Insights from Hong Kong and Singapore," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 57(7), pages 1469-1484, May.
    9. Gregor Wolbring & Theresa Rybchinski, 2013. "Social Sustainability and Its Indicators through a Disability Studies and an Ability Studies Lens," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 5(11), pages 1-19, November.
    10. Erik Lilleskov & Kevin McCullough & Kristell Hergoualc’h & Dennis Castillo Torres & Rodney Chimner & Daniel Murdiyarso & Randy Kolka & Laura Bourgeau-Chavez & John Hribljan & Jhon Aguila Pasquel & Cra, 2019. "Is Indonesian peatland loss a cautionary tale for Peru? A two-country comparison of the magnitude and causes of tropical peatland degradation," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 24(4), pages 591-623, April.
    11. Jenny E Goldstein, 2016. "Knowing the subterranean: Land grabbing, oil palm, and divergent expertise in Indonesia’s peat soil," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 48(4), pages 754-770, April.
    12. Laura De Pretto & Stephen Acreman & Matthew J Ashfold & Suresh K Mohankumar & Ahimsa Campos-Arceiz, 2015. "The Link between Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices in Relation to Atmospheric Haze Pollution in Peninsular Malaysia," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(12), pages 1-18, December.
    13. Erlis Saputra, 2019. "Beyond Fires and Deforestation: Tackling Land Subsidence in Peatland Areas, a Case Study from Riau, Indonesia," Land, MDPI, vol. 8(5), pages 1-24, April.
    14. Tom Quirk, 2010. "Twentieth Century Sources of Methane in the Atmosphere," Energy & Environment, , vol. 21(3), pages 251-266, July.
    15. Dislich, Claudia & Keyel, Alexander C. & Salecker, Jan & Kisel, Yael & Meyer, Katrin M. & Corre, Marife D. & Faust, Heiko & Hess, Bastian & Knohl, Alexander & Kreft, Holger & Meijide, Ana & Nurdiansya, 2015. "Ecosystem functions of oil palm plantations - a review," EFForTS Discussion Paper Series 16, University of Goettingen, Collaborative Research Centre 990 "EFForTS, Ecological and Socioeconomic Functions of Tropical Lowland Rainforest Transformation Systems (Sumatra, Indonesia)".
    16. Takeshima, Hiroyuki, 2015. "Drivers of growth in agricultural returns to scale: The hiring in of tractor services in the Terai of Nepal:," IFPRI discussion papers 1476, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    17. Quentin Grafton, R. & Jotzo, Frank & Wasson, Merrilyn, 2004. "Financing sustainable development: Country Undertakings and Rights for Environmental Sustainability CURES," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 51(1-2), pages 65-78, November.
    18. Jenny Farmer & Robin Matthews & Pete Smith & Jo Smith, 2014. "The Tropical Peatland Plantation-Carbon Assessment Tool: estimating CO 2 emissions from tropical peat soils under plantations," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 19(6), pages 863-885, August.
    19. Gordon, Line J. & Finlayson, C. Max & Falkenmark, Malin, 2010. "Managing water in agriculture for food production and other ecosystem services," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 97(4), pages 512-519, April.
    20. Tri Wira Yuwati & Dony Rachmanadi & Pratiwi & Maman Turjaman & Yonky Indrajaya & Hunggul Yudono Setio Hadi Nugroho & Muhammad Abdul Qirom & Budi Hadi Narendra & Bondan Winarno & Sri Lestari & Purwanto, 2021. "Restoration of Degraded Tropical Peatland in Indonesia: A Review," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-31, November.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:lauspo:v:131:y:2023:i:c:s0264837723000947. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Joice Jiang (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/land-use-policy .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.