Indonesia has the largest area of peat swamp forest in the world, covering an estimated area of 20.7 million hectares. Sumatra which has large peat swamp forest is also has highest threats due to massive land conversions, deforestations and forest degradation. In the peat swamp forest this will increases a significant carbon emission and loss of poor people livelihoods that lives in the area. In relation to the low emisission development and reducing emissions from all land uses (REALU), this study is trying to identify local livelihoods in peat swamp area and opportunities to reduce emissions in the site level. The study site was Tanjung Jabung Barat district in Jambi province on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia. The total area of the district was approximately 5 000 km2, with almost 40% of the area being peat lands in the east towards the coast. The population was approximately 266 952 people in 2009. Early in-migration (old migran) occurred during the 1940s-1950s, mostly Bugis and Banjar ethnic groups from Sulawesi and Kalimantan islands. The most significant migration (recent migran) into the site occurred during the 1980s-1990s under the Government of Indonesia's transmigration program, which was linked with the develop-ment of large-scale oil palm plantations.