Indonesian villages rewarded for not burning to tackle annual haze crisis

By Jewel Topsfield
Updated October 23 2016 - 12:08pm, first published 11:36am
Children ride their bicycles in Pelalawan, in Riau province as small fires burn in the background.  Photo: Rodrigo Ordonez
Children ride their bicycles in Pelalawan, in Riau province as small fires burn in the background. Photo: Rodrigo Ordonez
Haji Muhammad Yunus, the head of Sering is angry his village missed a financial reward. Photo: Rodrigo Ordonez
Haji Muhammad Yunus, the head of Sering is angry his village missed a financial reward. Photo: Rodrigo Ordonez
Craig Tribolet, APRIL's strategic fire and protection manager is a charismatic Australian forester and firefighter from Bathurst. Photo: Rodrigo Ordonez
Craig Tribolet, APRIL's strategic fire and protection manager is a charismatic Australian forester and firefighter from Bathurst. Photo: Rodrigo Ordonez
An aerial view of a road crossing through palm plantations, inside APRIL's concession in Riau province. Photo: Rodrigo Ordonez
An aerial view of a road crossing through palm plantations, inside APRIL's concession in Riau province. Photo: Rodrigo Ordonez
An aerial view of a production area, inside APRIL's concession in Riau province. Photo: Rodrigo Ordonez
An aerial view of a production area, inside APRIL's concession in Riau province. Photo: Rodrigo Ordonez
An aerial view of peatland forests cleared for fishing in Riau province. Photo: Rodrigo Ordonez
An aerial view of peatland forests cleared for fishing in Riau province. Photo: Rodrigo Ordonez
Children remove their shoes before they enter the classroom at Global Andalan school in Riau province. As part of the Fire-Free Villages program, APRIL is starting to reach out to school children.  Photo: Rodrigo Ordonez
Children remove their shoes before they enter the classroom at Global Andalan school in Riau province. As part of the Fire-Free Villages program, APRIL is starting to reach out to school children. Photo: Rodrigo Ordonez
Villagers in Pelalawan use small fires to clear land for a vegetable garden. Photo: Rodrigo Ordonez
Villagers in Pelalawan use small fires to clear land for a vegetable garden. Photo: Rodrigo Ordonez
Tengku Antonia bottle feeds his son Tengku Ayuan Kuadi outside his home in Pelalawan village, in Riau province. Photo: Rodrigo Ordonez
Tengku Antonia bottle feeds his son Tengku Ayuan Kuadi outside his home in Pelalawan village, in Riau province. Photo: Rodrigo Ordonez
The Fire-Free Village program's local liaison (left) and Pelalawan's deputy head of village, Edi Hanafi, with the motorised water pump the village bought with the program's half-reward. Photo: Rodrigo Ordonez
The Fire-Free Village program's local liaison (left) and Pelalawan's deputy head of village, Edi Hanafi, with the motorised water pump the village bought with the program's half-reward. Photo: Rodrigo Ordonez
A truck carries tree logs inside APRIL's concession in Kerinci, Riau province. Photo: Rodrigo Ordonez
A truck carries tree logs inside APRIL's concession in Kerinci, Riau province. Photo: Rodrigo Ordonez
An aerial view of peat land forests cleared for fishing, inside APRIL's concession in Riau province. Photo: Rodrigo Ordonez
An aerial view of peat land forests cleared for fishing, inside APRIL's concession in Riau province. Photo: Rodrigo Ordonez
An aerial view of a truck carrying tree logs in APRIL's concession Riau province. Photo: Rodrigo Ordonez
An aerial view of a truck carrying tree logs in APRIL's concession Riau province. Photo: Rodrigo Ordonez

Riau, Sumatra: Haji Muhammad Yunus is in a cantankerous mood.

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