Photo Essay Competition: Cultivating Without Conquering

Productive Without Being Destructive

Peatlands are not idle land! The stigma attached to them for so long must change. On the contrary, peatland ecosystems are productive lands rich in biodiversity and possess immense potential to sustainably support local communities' livelihoods. The damage that has occurred so far is not due to the natural characteristics of peat, but rather the result of large-scale development and exploitation models that ignore its unique characteristics, such as high acidity and vulnerable water content.

We believe that society does not have to choose between economic prosperity or environmental preservation. Many local community ways of life have proven that we can utilize this ecosystem sustainably without leaving a trail of destruction. Through local wisdom and generations-old practices, these local communities have shown that productive activities can synergize with peat ecology. Their experience is the most crucial guide for formulating fair and sustainable policies, ensuring that peat ecosystems can continue to function as carbon sinks and sources of livelihood.

General Terms

1. Participants must be journalists (including photojournalists or student press).
2. Each photo essay must consist of 5 to 8 photos accompanied by a written narrative of maximum 500 words. The narrative must explain the context, the main figure, and the practice of sustainable peatland ecosystem utilization by the community.
3. Photos must have been taken no earlier than January 2025 and must be captured within Indonesia's peatland ecosystem areas.
4. The attached photos must be of sharp quality at 300 dpi without any watermarks, frames, or borders.
5. Digital editing is permitted as long as it does not alter the photo objects or use Artificial Intelligence (AI).
6. The article must be written in Indonesian with a positive, inspiring, and gently urgent tone.
7. Participants may only submit one photo essay work of their own that has never been entered into a competition before.
8. Participants must follow and upload at least two selected photos by tagging the Instagram accounts @pantaugambut and @siej_info. The upload must be accompanied by a brief caption about the work and include the hashtag #ProduktifTanpaDestruktif.
9. There is no registration fee for participants.

Submission of Works

1. Submission of works is EXTENDED until November 27, 2025, at 11:59 PM WIB.
2. Submit the photo essay in .pdf format via the link http://bit.ly/PengumpulanEssayPG">bit.ly/PengumpulanEssayPG.
3. Name the file using the format FIRST NAME_LAST NAME_ESSAY TITLE
   Example: Valentino_Rossi_Gambut Sehat dan Kuat.pdf
4. All photos must be submitted in a size of 1200x800 pixels at 72 ppi. If the work is selected, we will request high-resolution photos.
5. All works will be selected and judged by Pantau Gambut and SIEJ.
6. The winners will be announced on Pantau Gambut's 4th Anniversary on November 30, 2025.
7. By entering this competition, participants agree that the ownership rights of the submitted works will belong to Pantau Gambut.

2 selected journalists will receive funding support of Rp5,000,000 to conduct in-depth field reporting.

8 favorite works will receive Pantau Gambut's 4th-anniversary souvenirs.

This competition seeks a series of storytelling photos to evoke readers' emotions and awareness. Each photo must be strong as an individual piece, but must form a cohesive narrative when presented in the proper sequence. Good luck!