"Water Resources Management in Peatlands in Indonesia: Building Climate Resilience in the Agricultural Sector" PREFACE Under the leadership of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Indonesia has made several important contributions to the efforts of addressing global climate change. After hosting COP-13 of the UNFCCC in Bali in 2007, Indonesia has made collaborative efforts with several developed countries, including the United States’ Government, for the establishment of Indonesia Climate Change Center (ICCC) with Climate Resilience Cluster as one of its clusters. The first initiative under this cluster is developing/strengthening synergy between climate change adaptation and mitigation in the agricultural sector. It was planned to be actualized in the form of a scientific document, as input for decision-makers. The integration and synergy of both the important and fundamental aspects of climate change in all sectors, including the agricultural sector, are not yet well-developed in Indonesia. This initiative was initially released and developed in July 2012 when workshop on 'Climate Resilience of Agriculture in Indonesia' was held and was followed up by several consultation meetings with the Ministry of Agriculture. This Summary on 'Water Resources Management in Indonesia's Peatlands: Building Climate Resilience in the Agricultural sector" was developed through a number of communications/consultations and a series of meetings and achieved consensus among Team Members.
There are at least two main concerns why this work is developed, i.e.: a) Indonesia peatlands have become international concerns due to their significant contributions to the total national GHG emissions; b) Indonesia peatlands have become potential sources of farmlands to support national food security programs. Considering the importance of peatlands' functions on environmental and food security services, these ICCC's efforts are expected to contribute to both national and global efforts of addressing problems. Much work remains to further develop the scientific understanding underlying these efforts into a scientific document. In this occasion, we would like to express our appreciation to the Indonesia National Council on Climate Change (Dewan Nasional Perubahan Iklim/DNPI) and the US Forest Service (USFS) for the support. We would like to thank Prof. Dr. Supiandi Sabiham, Dr. Irsal Las, Dr. Kusumo Nugroho, Dr. Tri Wahyu Hadi, Dr. Heru Santoso, and Dr. Suwandi who have provided scientific materials, technical directions, advices as well as inputs for the development of this Conclusion.
SUMMARY Peatland, Climate Change, and Agricultural Issues in Indonesia Peatlands in Indonesia have attracted the world’s attention because they have been considered giving significant contribution to the global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The study carried out by the MoE (2010) based on source category shows emissions from peatland fire and oxidation (i.e. emissions from organic soil) as the second source, following the main source of GHG emissions in Indonesia deriving from forest conversion. Potential increase of GHG emissions from peatlands are likely to remain high due to the high carbon stock contained therein. Due to the high potential of GHG emissions, peatland problems during all this time are more often related to climate change mitigation issue. However, the climate condition and climate change themselves significantly determine the existence and preservation of peatlands. Sorensen (1993) and Canadell et al. (2007) explained that the weather change and climate variability increased by land use and management, has the potential of changing the tropical peatland ecosystems previously from being net C sinks into net C sources. (Li, 2007). Besides, climate parameters, particularly temperature and rainfall, significantly affect CO2 and CH4 gas emissions from ¹ Adger and Brown (1995)
peatlands. Conditions like when temperature increases and rainfall decreases are very suitable for the decomposition of organic substances, so as to increase CO2 emissions. Whereas CH4 emission increases when water level (rainfall) is high¹, even though other studies show that peat decomposition and thickness has nothing to do with CO2 emission. (Sabiham S. et al., 2012). Furthermore, rainfall change in the future may immediately change water table distribution and result in the dryness of surface peatlands (Roulet et al., 2005). Peatland issue in Indonesia actually is more complex and dilemmatic not only because it is a global environmental problem, but also because it is related to the national food security. If we only preserve the existing peatland areas in the context of avoiding GHG emissions, Indonesia is likely to face farmland scarcity problem and this is a potential threat for food security. However, if Indonesia continuous opening peatlands without control and without sound management by reason of food security, GHG emissions from peatlands will continue to increase. In the future, potential and fertile (optimal) lands will be increasingly limited and various social and economic problems are likely to emerge. Therefore, the wisest strategy is to find a compromise effort of “win-win solution” for such condition by taking various rational and realistic aspects into consideration (Las et al. 2012)
Water and Peatland Function Preservation Besides its function as carbon sinks, peatlands also function as a significant number of fresh water sources, potential of reaching 8-13 times of the volume of the peats themselves)². Therefore, it is very important and necessary to manage the water existing in peatlands well. Water is an important factor in peat dome forming process³ and drainage (though not always) is the cause of land surface subsidence⁴. Another significant characteristic of peats after going through drainage process is fragile⁵. The depth of drainage and climate⁶ are the factors affecting the speed of peatland subsidence besides other factors (such as land use and peat type). The drainage depth, besides the time and spatial factors, affects carbon emissions. Peatlands that should have drainage depth from 30 to 120 cm, with any one centimeter additional depth, are potential of increasing emission as much as 0.91 tons of CO2/ha/year.⁷ Sabiham S. et al (2012) furthermore suggested conserving sufficient water content in the upper layers of peatlands /maintaining the depth of drainage at 40 cm to reduce CO2 emissions. The condition of water availability in peatlands is determined by spatial (location and width-geographical) conditions and time. Water availability in macro terms shall be widely adjusted to the ecosystem.⁸ Peatland management must be done based on the uniqueness of the ecosystem . Water availability in micro terms shall be determined by the conditions or characteristics of land in certain location. Water stress in one location is different from another location⁹ depending on the soil characteristics (physical hydraulic)¹⁰. Specifically, peatland condition and the water content therein, are affecting one another.¹¹ Therefore, water resources management in peatlands may become compromise of the abovementioned two main problems in peatlands, and may become strategic solution in sustainable peatland management. However, uncontrollable man activities such as: building ditches and drains without preserving certain limit of water level (generally for transporting legal or illegal logs, irrigating farmlands and plantations without sound water management), have resulted in the decreasing water content in peatlands. Moreover, peatlands become dry and inflammable during dry season. These remain part of the problems in peatlands.
of the use of peatlands for farmlands allocated for farmlands, including rice-fields. Considering the highly significant function of peatlands, their management and utilization must be performed carefully, and observation thereon must be conducted holistically by involving all aspects related thereto. Considering their highly sensitive characteristic, peatlands can be easily degraded and transformed into CO2,. Specifically, CO2 emission mitigation strategies need to be implemented with the principle of balanced peatland management through conservation and management approaches. In general, for the purpose of handling the impacts of climate change in the agricultural sector, the Ministry of Agriculture has prepared Anticipation, Mitigation and Adaptation strategies as set forth in the Roadmap of Strategies for the Agricultural Sector, namely: (1) optimization of existing land resources, as well as water resources and irrigations; (2) adjustment of planting pattern and land management, especially for food and agricultural diversification crops; (3) assembling and preparation of adaptive technologies and various guidance and (4) application of adaptive and environment-friendly technologies. Considering that social system adheres to natural system (Sand, Isabel van de. 2012), local wisdom has become part of the climate change anticipation/adaptation strategies, together with technological aspects such as: planting calendar technology, seed technology, water management and climate.
Integrated Management and Conservation as Solution
Peatland utilization: Present Condition and Future Challenges
In order to achieve sustainable peatland management, there are still many obstacles and problems in various aspects in peatlands such as : from the limited knowledge of the functions and management of peatlands to the overlapping policies. Specifically for water resources management, macro water system built generally does not take typology and land level into account, resulting in farmers’ inability to utilize high tide and low tide dynamics.¹² Climate variability and change as well as the impacts/risks thereof also cannot yet be used as considerations in water resources management.
Besides as elaborated above, peatlands in Indonesia are also partially allocated for supporting food security. Economic growth and population increase have suppressed the availability farmlands. This condition has enforced part
In addition thereto, farmers have sufficient knowledge and local wisdom (at least qualitatively) of the surrounding natural phenomenon such as those related to the coming of rainy season, and other phenomenon in rivers.
² Agus, F. and I.G. M. Subiksa (2008) ³ Rais (2011) ⁴ Agus, F. and I.G. M. Subiksa (2008) ⁵ Radjagukguk (2003) in Suwondo (2011) ⁶ Agus, F. and I.G. M. Subiksa (2008)
⁷ Hooijer [2010] ⁸ Sabiham (1988; 2006) ⁹ Nugroho et al, (2003) ¹⁰ Nugroho et al, (1997) ¹¹ Nugroho and Widodo (2002)
¹² National Peatland Management Working Group. 2006. National Strategies and Action Plan on Sustainable Peatland Management
Synergy of Adaptation-Mitigation in Peatlands Peats as water storage can function as water source for the life of the people and the surrounding environment especially during dry season, and their existence can reduce flood during rainy season, as well as can become a carbon emission suppressing factor. Therefore, water resources management in agricultural areas in peatlands is an example of co-benefit of the synergy of climate change mitigation and adaptation in the agricultural sector, and can trigger the implementation of better peatland rehabilitation. Moreover, vulnerable community group, including small farmers, can enjoy the benefits. Based on the existing documents, peatlands in Indonesia have started (have been planned) to be managed sustainably; however, the practices still need to be supervised and enforced in the field. Conceptually, climate variability and change as well as the side-impacts/risks thereof still need to be reviewed, especially in smaller scale.
Recommendations Today, peatland utilization still is an unavoidable option for the Indonesian government in the effort of building food security in the agricultural sector. However, the government and the people need to develop a more long-lasting and sustainable peatland management through an integrated management and conservation policies. Adaptation-mitigation strategies are likely to build climate resilience by creating climate-friendly (by surprising contribution to GHG emissions) and climate-proof (by reducing climate variability and change risks) peatland utilization activities. In this case, water resources
management in peatlands becomes the key of success in achieving the objectives of peatland utilization. Today, only few research activities are carried out in water resources areas in peatlands by taking climate change problems and the impacts thereof into consideration and into account. Therefore, research activities related to such area need to be carried out to increase understanding on the importance of water resources management in peatlands. These research activities are not only needed for the scientists to understand in more details water availability which is affected by climate (climate variability and change) and water system, but also for the policy-makers to lead to a better and sustainable peatland management, including peatland agricultural management for supporting food security. To enrich knowledge and strengthen planning on sustainable water resources management in peatlands with an approach that involves local farmers (bottom-up), hydrological study that is more site specific needs to be developed in the context of supporting sustainable peatland management, including agriculture in peatlands for supporting food security program. In addition thereto, study on land function transformation and its relation to food security and climate change needs to be carried out in parallel in order to strengthen sustainable peatland management program. In line with the abovementioned two recommendations, Peatland and Peatland Mapping program needs to be immediately actualized with the target of explaining the direction of the policies to be drawn up by the policy-makers.
Water resources management in agricultural areas in peatlands is an example of co-benefit of the synergy of climate change mitigation and adaptation in the agricultural sector, and can trigger the implementation of better peatland rehabilitation. Photo by Matt Warren (USFS).
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