Indonesia has the largest peatland area in Southeast Asia.

Quoting asean.org, Indonesia has the largest peatland area in Southeast Asia, reaching 20.2 million hectares (ha).

This amount is equivalent to 88% of the total peatland area in Southeast Asia.

Peatlands in Indonesia are recorded to store 57 gigatons of carbon. This is 20 times more than the carbon stored in ordinary tropical rainforests or mineral soil.

Besides Indonesia, Malaysia also has a relatively large peatland area on a Southeast Asian scale, namely 2.56 million ha.

Details of peatland area in Southeast Asian countries:

1. Indonesia: 20.2 million ha
2. Malaysia: 2.56 million ha
3. Brunei Darussalam: 90.9 thousand ha
4. Thailand: 64.5 thousand ha
5. Vietnam: 24 thousand ha
6. Philippines: 20.2 thousand ha
7. Myanmar: 11.2 thousand ha
8. Cambodia: 9.8 thousand ha
9. Myanmar: 1.0 thousand ha (Note: There appears to be a duplicate entry for Myanmar)

Peat is a wetland or swamp formed from the accumulation of dead leaves, branches, tree remains, grasses, or other organic materials.

This accumulation builds up over centuries, reaching depths of several meters.

Peat has various benefits, such as storing the world's carbon reserves, preventing drought, and preventing saltwater intrusion in agricultural irrigation.

Peat also serves as a habitat for various types of flora and fauna, thus supporting global biodiversity.

(Also Read: [Peatland in Papua is the Largest in Indonesia](https://databoks.katadata.co.id/datapublish/2021/12/21/lahan-gambut-papua-terluas-di-indonesia))