Info ICCC 2nd ed.

INFO ICCC L I N K I N G

S C I E N C E

2nd Edition - December 2012

Editorial Established in October 2011 under the US-Indonesia Comprehensive Partnership, Indonesia Climate Change Center (ICCC) is a platform of network that reaches scientist communities, international organizations, Indonesian ministries, and academics to encourage robust science-policy linkages in support of actions to deal with issues on climate change in Indonesia.

Info ICCC is a quarterly newsletter which serves information on issues and study result conducted by ICCC. ICCC encourages free dissemination of information available on this newsletter for non-commercial purpose with acknowledgement of Info ICCC as the source Feedback and suggestion on ICCC and its activity implementation can be sent through email to info@iccc-network.net or addressed Gedung Kementerian BUMN 18th floor, Jl. Medan Merdeka Selatan No.13, Jakarta 10110.

Further information on ICCC is available on www.ICCC-network.net.

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P O L I C Y

Information Media of Indonesia Climate Change Center

Towards Sustainable Peatland Management Peatland papping theory and global experience

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he largest area of tropical peatland at the present time exists in southeast Asia (Figure 1), moreover they are found largely in Indonesia (predominantly Sumatra, Kalimantan and West Papua), Malaysia (Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak and Sabah), Brunei and Thailand (Whitmore 1995, Page et al. 2004). In Borneo, the peat swamp forest extends along the coasts of Sarawak, Brunei Darussalam, Sabah and Kalimantan on low-lying, poorly-drained sites and also exists further inland than its neighboring beach forest and mangrove forest formation. Over a period of 4,500 years, the peat has reached a depth of 20 metres in several areas (Phillips 1998).

The tropical peat swamp forest is important, not only for its diverse wealth of bio-resources, but also its huge carbon pool (Tawaraya et al. 2003). Tropical peat swamp forests and deforested peatland

By Eli Nur Nurmala Sari

are important stores of carbon whose release in large quantities through burning can contribute significantly to climate change processes. Available data and information from the field along with surveys from the air (by aircraft and satellite) indicated that the combination of human activities (land clearing, illegal logging, etc.) and forest fires have caused land-cover change in peatland areas (Putra et al. 2008).

Indonesia is charting a green growth plan which will ensure sustainable economic growth with a smaller carbon footprint. The total amount of Indonesia’s CO2 emissions in 2005 was 2.1Gt, and 37.5% was from peatland. Ironically, its CO2 emissions are estimated to grow from 2.1 to 3.3 Gt between 2005 and 2030. Therefore, the reduction of CO2 emissions from peat is a key factor in the contribution to REDD. Indonesia has gathered a lot of data (such as land cover change, forest

Info ICCC Team: Steering Committee: Rachmat Witoelar, Agus Purnomo, Amanda Katili Niode, Murni Titi Resdiana, Farhan Helmy, National Council on Climate Change (DNPI) Editor in Chief: Farrah Mardiati, Indonesia Climate Change Center (ICCC) Contributors: Eli Nur Nirmala Sari, Dadang Hilman, Harityas Wiyoga, Artissa Panjaitan, Indonesia Climate Change Center (ICCC)

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Fig. 1: Map of peatland in South East Asia. The map illustrates that most peatland are distributed on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo (Kalimantan, Sabah, Sarawak and Brunei) and in Peninsular Malaysia (Source: Whitmore 1995)

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ICCC Highlights

Information Media of Indonesia Climate Change Center

(1) Decreased area

Fig 3: Moratorium Map (above) and Wetlands International peatland map (below) for Central Kalimantan (Map sheet No. 1613, 1:250,000 scale) Fig 2: Peatland area in Indonesia (in million ha)

management, biomass above ground, biomass below ground, forest types, forest growth), but significant gaps exist to reach national monitoring system. The data onnn peatland areas in Indonesia are also available as presented in the Figure 2. The differences in terms of uncertainty about the findings and data can be caused by the different assumptions, methods, and technology used. Different organisations can use methodology and resources that are different, which will give rise to different estimates, for example discrepancies with regard to estimates of carbon emissions.

The conservation and restoration of peatland can make a major contribution to climate change mitigation. Improving guidance and capacity for reporting on peatland emissions will prove valuable to the current negotiations towards the implementation of a successful REDD program. However, to estimate the CO2 emission from peatland, and to make policy on a national scale for climate change adaptation and mitigation on peatland, the definition of tropical peatland is very important. This will create a common understanding, and will make it easier to reach a consensus on tackling problems related to peatland that occur in Indonesia.

The Moratorium Map was assessed and compared to the Wetlands International Peatland Map published in 2004 (Hirose et al, 2012). The two maps are shown in Figure 3. Differences between them are indicated by red and yellow circles on Figure 4. Red circles show a total of about 125,000ha less area on the Wetland International map compared to the Moratorium Map. Yellow circles show a total of about 35,000 ha more area on the Wetland International map compared to Moratorium Map. Those differences might reflect existing license areas and newly issued license areas.

Peatland mapping methodology standards for sustainable peatland management

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he better management of peatland forests, in particular, can make a substantial contribution to reducing atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations in countries with significant peat forest carbon stocks. At the global level, peatland covers about 3.8 million km2 in total; about 3% of the world’s land surface. Peatland stores more carbon than any other forest types,

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Fig 4: Example of differences between Moratorium Map and Wetlands International peatland map (above: Decreased area on Moratorium Map, below: Increased area on Moratorium Map)

and their degradation results in larger emissions than those from any other ecosystem. About 30 countries are responsible for the largest greenhouse gas emissions from peatland (Joosten, 2009), including many non-Annex I countries. The majority of the 130 million hectares of peatland in non-Annex I countries is naturally forested, and contain about 100 billion tonnes of carbon - most of which is in their soils. When the peatland is drained, the carbon is released and emissions are ongoing until rehabilitation takes place.

Since 1990 peatland emissions have increased in 45 countries of which 40 are non-Annex I countries. Indonesia, Malaysia and China are some of the countries with the highest emissions from drained peatland among non-Annex 1 countries. The emissions from peatland in non-Annex I countries through drainage and peat fires cause emission of an estimated 1.2 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide annually. In For example, in Southeast Asia in the last 20 years, more than 12 million ha have been drained; and more than 3 million ha have been burnt (especially during El Niño droughts). The recent decline of peatland forests in the region is twice the rate of decline of other kinds of forest. Under the Kyoto Protocol’s LULUCF, a new accounting activity is proposed for the second commitment period to provide incentives to reduce emissions from drained peatland in Annex-I countries. For nonAnnex I countries REDD should provide such incentives.

Integrating the existing data, theory and experience, Indonesia Climate Change Center (ICCC) facilitates a small working group, which consist of the Ministry of Agriculture and Geospatial Information Agency, in developing a standard for peatland mapping methodology. This small working group will supervise the field testing of the proposed mapping methodology in three selected pilot areas: Kalimantan, Sumatera and Papua. This activity will result in a tested mapping methodology together with peatland maps for the three selected areas, which cover the whole peatland ecosystem (land use change, business as usual, as well as social and economic aspects). This research activity will be used to make recommendations for policy formulation related to sustainable peatland management to support Indonesia’s emissions reduction target.

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ICCC Highlights

Media Informasi Indonesia Climate Change Center

photo by: Yopie Pangkey/ICCC

Climate Resilience through improvement of water resource management in peatland

By Dadang Hilman

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he water resources management of peatland is vital and has to be carried out properly. Aside from absorbing carbon, the presence of water in peatland also functions as a source of fresh water in significant volumes, which can reach between 8 and 13 times the volume of the peat itself.

Water is an important factor in the formation of a peat dome; and its drainage results (albeit not always) in the subsidence/ sinking of the land surface.In addition, the peat will become very fragile after the drying out process, and thus the depth of drainage and climate are factors that determine the speed of subsidence in peatland, along with the factor of land use.

strategic solution in the sustainable management of peatland.

The depth of drainage, aside from the spatial and time factors, can influence carbon emissions. Cultivated peatland has a depth of drainage between 30 to 120 cm, and each additional centimeter of depth has the potential to increase emission as much as 0.91 ton of CO2/ha/year. Furthermore, Sabiham S. et al (2012) proposed a depth of 40 cmto conserve sufficient water in the upper layers of the peatland and to reduce CO2 emissions.

Water availability in peat land is determined by the spatial conditions (its location and width – geographic) and time.

Water availability on a macro scaleis dependent on its ecosystem. Peatland management should be carried out based on the uniqueness of its ecosystem. Meanwhile, water availability on a micro scale is established by the condition or characteristic of soil at a certain site. The grasp of water is different from site to site depending to its soil characteristics (physical – hydrolic). Specifically, peat soil has a condition which interacts with its water content.Because of this, the water resources management in peatland can be a compromise between the two major issues mentioned above, and can be a

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However, one of theobstacles forsustainable peatland management isthe uncontrolled human activities such as digging ditches and channels without maintaining a certain limit for the water level, which is usually done to transport both legally and illegally cut timber, and to irrigate farmland andplantations without proper water management. These activities have certainly already caused a decrease in the water stored in the peatland and they can become dried out and susceptible to fires in the dry season.

Land use of peatland: the current situation and challenges in the future

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side from what has been described above, peatland in Indonesia functions, in part, to bolster food security.

Economic growth and population increase has already increased pressure on the availability of land for agriculture.

This situation has already resulted in parts of the peatlands being used as farmland, including for rice paddy fields.

The Ministry of Agriculture has developed a strategy of Anticipation, Mitigation and Adaptation, which is set out in the Strategic Roadmap for the Agriculture Sector that is to optimize the management of available peatland resources, along with water resources and irrigation; adaptation of planting patterns and land management, especially those for foodcrops and agricultural diversification; assembling and preparing adaptive technology and various guidance on, and application of, this environmentally friendly adaptive technology.

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Media Informasi Indonesia Climate Change Center

Peatland is very sensitive and therefore can easily become degraded, and thus emitting CO2. The strategy to achieve CO2 emissionsreduction, specifically, needs to be carried out based on a principle of balanced peatland management through conservation and managerial approaches. With the extremely important function of peatland, its utilization and management must be carried out wisely, and it must be reviewed in a holistic way that involves every related aspect.

resources management in peatland. This research is not only needed for scientists to understand in detail the presence of water, which is influenced by climate variability and change, and the water system, but also for policy makers to be able to move towards better and more sustainable peatland management, including management of peatland farming in order to support food security.

Considering the fact that the social system is rooted in the natural system (Sand, Isabel van de. 2012), local wisdom has become a part of the strategy with regard to the anticipation of and adaptation to climate change, as well as technological aspects like cropping calendars, seed technology, water management and climate.

In order to enrich our knowledge and strengthen the planning for sustainable water resources management of peatland with a bottom-up approach (involving local farmers), more site specific hydrology studies need to be developed within the framework of supporting sustainable peatland management, including agriculture on peatland in order to support the food security program.

Managing peatland water resources to support sustainable peatland management

Aside from this, studies into land use change and its connection to food security and climate change need to be carried out in parallel in order to support the sustainable peatland management program.

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urrently, utilizing peatland is an inevitable option for the Indonesian government in its efforts to develop food security in the agriculture sector. Nevertheless, the government and the communities need to develop a more conserving and sustainable peatland management system through integrated management and conservation policies.

Adaptation and mitigation strategies will build up climate resilience by devising climate friendly peatland utilization that reduces the contribution to greenhouse gas emissions, while at the same time seeking to make it climate proof by reducing the risk of climate variability and change. In this matter, managing peatland water resources is the key to reaching success in implementing a proper utilization of peatland.

Currently there are only very few research activities in the area of peatland water resources, which have incorporated the issue of climate change and its impacts. Therefore, such research activities need to be carried out more in order to improve understanding about the importance of water

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ICCC Highlights

In line with the two suggestions made above, the Peatland and Peatland Mapping program needs to be set up immediately with the target of clarifying the precepts of the decisions that will be made by policy makers.

* This article is an excerpt from a climate resilience document entitled ‘Manajemen Sumber Daya Air pada Lahan Gambut Indonesia: Membangun Ketahanan Iklim di Sektor Pertanian’(Managing Water Resources in Indonesia’s Peatlands: Building Climate Resilience in the Agriculture Sector) which is being developed by the ICCC’s Climate Resilience Cluster working in cooperation with a team of experts from several government and academic institutions.

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ICCC Highlights

Information Media of Indonesia Climate Change Center

Low Emission Development Strategies through Renewable Energy, Transportation and Agriculture

By Artissa Panjaitan

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According to the Greenhouse Gas Abatement Cost Curve for Indonesia, published by DNPI (2010), the country’s biggest opportunities to reduce emissions are found in the Peat and Land Use Change & Forest sectors. In addition, Indonesia’s economy is expected to grow at 6–7% per year over the next 10–20 years.

In 2030, under the Business As Usual (BAU) growth scenario, power sector emission are projected to increase almost 8 fold to 810 million tonnes CO2e and the sector will become the biggest emissions contributor, followed by the transportation and agriculture sectors.

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Through LEDS cluster, ICCC will assess current policies and use a scientific approach to suggest necessary policy changes. It will employ Science based models, followed by e :G investment pilot projects in the by o t power sector. Pilots will help build o h p confidence in RE investments. Results of pilots will be especially important since RE investments are likely be suitable for: im

Changing the course of development technologies and methodologies has always been challenging.

Dialogues between countries, and negotiations between business entities, are necessary to assist selection of mature but cost-competitive technologies. However, developing countries need assistance from developed countries in terms of technology transfer and capital expenditure.

will help the Government of Indonesia to structure its policies in order to maximize development of RE in the country. There needs to be improved measures in presenting the opportunities to private parties, removing barriers, and providing the right incentives.

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ow Emission Development Strategies (LEDS) are a vital global element in saving the planet from extreme weather conditions while maintaining the momentum of economic growth.

Developed countries continue to pursue this goal despite their economic slowdown. For the developing countries, these are contradictory objectives and often undermined by limited budgets.

1. replacing diesel powered generators, 2. supplying households in sparsely populated rural areas and isolated villages with low population density.

The combined size of emissions from Indonesia’s transportation and agriculture sectors is significant and may intertwine when we consider bio-fuel use, i.e.: gasohol and biodiesel.

The transportation sector can help reducing NOx emissions significantly by using catalytic converters in all vehicles. By the same token, improvement of agriculture productivity will help reduce pressure that causses expansion of farm land into peat areas.

To mitigate the power sector emissions, Indonesia has great potential in terms of Renewable Energy (RE) sources. However, only a small fraction of this potential has been developed.

Understanding how to attract a stream of investments in RE

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Media Informasi Indonesia Climate Change Center

ICCC Highlights

Biomass for Indonesia’s potential Renewable Energy

By Artissa Panjaitan

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enewable Energy (RE) has been the main topic of emission reduction and mitigation efforts in climate change. It is essentially human made solutions to capture different forms of energy in a short cycle time. This is in contrast to fossil fuels that take millions of years to form before they can be used.

If the carbon footprint in providing RE technology solutions is disregarded, then RE is carbon neutral in the sense that it does not employ carbon already stored in the ground.

There are many forms of RE, such as: Water/Hydro, Solar, Wind, Biomass, Geothermal, Fuel Cell and Ocean Waves. They all use the basic principles of potential and kinetic energy conversion in the form of physical and chemical process. Moreover, each area on the globe has its own most favorable form of RE. For example, solar power is best used in direct sun light areas while geothermal is best available in volcanic areas.

Hydro power is the most developed RE type. Its technology development has made its generation cost cheaper than coal fired power plants in some conditions. Depending on the infrastructure and civil works, hydro power capital expenditure varies between US$ 2000 – 3000 per kW installed capacity while its energy costs practically nothing. Matured RE technology practically effectively makes project development and operations less risky.

Solar cell solution is a maturing RE technology but requires high capital expenditure of up to US$ 5000 per kW installed capacity.

Some applications need to be accompanied by energy storage capacity to allow a level (steady) power output. This high cost makes solar cell development not viable in general conditions.

However, RE for remote areas may use availability and scalability of energy as the main criteria instead of energy cost.

Biomass energy can be in the form of bio-gas, bio-liquid and bio-solid fuels. Some scientists even foresee that bio-gas and bio-liquid can significantly replace fossil fuels in power and transportation. As a tropical country, Indonesia has the most abundant energy for photosynthesis on the same surface area.

We can say that Indonesia has one of the best biomass energy potentials.

At the moment however, policy makers in Indonesia are still thinking in the direction of Waste to Energy instead of Crop to Energy. This judgment has made biomass become less important priority and thus still not properly employed. In addition, Indonesia still applies subsidy on petrol (from current market price at approximately Rp. 9000/liter to sell at Rp. 4500/ liter) while bio-ethanol can now be produced competitively at IDR 7,500/liter. This has obviously made bio-ethanol less preffered.

illustration by Yoga/ICCC

generation capacity unutilized. Capacity Factor (CF) is used to express the percentage of installed capacity that can actually be used to generate power (revenue).

Indonesia can take a lesson from Brazil that has been able to use biomass energy up to 18% of its transportation fuel from bio-ethanol. Technically, marketable high-end petrol fuel can only reach compressibility ratio (CR) of 12 while bio-ethanol can reach CR of 18. The higher CR, the better engine efficiency can be reached. Then, petrol and bio-ethanol mixture can reach CR > 12, making it possible for efficiency increase, i.e: lower fuel consumption as well as emission. With improved engine efficiency and the development of special energy plants, biomass can be a solution to significantly replace fossil fuel in Indonesia.

Other types of RE are still more expensive than hydro and coal power. On top of it, the energy production capacity of RE fluctuates with season and daylight factor. There are times power

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ICCC Activity

Information Media of Indonesia Climate Change Center

ICCC’s Participation in the ‘International Symposium on Wild Fire and Carbon Management in Peat-Forest in Indonesia’

By Eli Nur Nirmala Sari

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n 14 September 2012, the Indonesia Climate Change Center (ICCC) made a presentation at the ‘International Symposium on Wild Fire and Carbon Management in Peat-Forest in Indonesia’. This annual symposium was being staged by JST-JICA for the fourth time since 2009 and had as its objective the sharing of the latest information and experiences from project activities. The topics of other special sessions included forests and activities related to climate change in Indonesia (REDD+ and the MRV system), building capacity and networks, and so on.

During Special Session I, which had the theme ‘National Policy and Demonstration Activities on REDD+ Mechanism’, and was held on Friday 14 September 2012, the ICCC delivered a presentation on ‘Peatland Definition and Peatland Mapping Methodology: Towards Sustainable Forest Management’. In this 15 minute presentation, the ICCC set forth a brief history of the setting up of the ICCC and the purpose for doing so.

The important issue presented to the symposium was the ICCC’s publishing of its ‘Peatland Definition’ policy memo.

The ‘Peatland Definition’ is a definition created through a consensus among peat experts reached as a result of series of meetings hosted by the National Council on Climate Change (Dewan Nasional Perubahan Iklim or DNPI) and ICCC. “Perhaps there are those who do not agree with the ICCC’s Peatland Definition, and that would be natural. The ICCC cannot make everyone happy and satisfied with this definition.

The ICCC formulated the Peatland Definition consensus in accordance with the characteristics of peatland in Indonesia, with a scientific basis, and it is intended to accommodate all interests related to it, including scientists, policy makers, NGOs, the private sector, as well as other institutions and organisations that have a stake in the definition. The ICCC

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recommends that all stakeholders adopt this Peatland Definition for all matters related to peatland in Indonesia.” This was the stance taken by the ICCC’s presenter on the different opinions and understandings about peatland definition in Indonesia, which causes discrepancies in the data and in the area of peatland according to various institutions and researchers, especially for mapping purposes.

“The consensus on this Peatland Definition applies to all regions of Indonesia. It is hoped that this definition will support peatland mapping activities, so as an initial step there will be a map indicating peatland depth available. Then, to accommodate the interests of policy makers working on the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction target from peatland, the next important step is delineating the peatland, for example peatland delineation based on land use, its hydrology, its quality, whether it is good or damaged, and so on. It is hoped that delineation based on these components will make it easier for policy makers to make reliable decisions relating to the management of peatlands,” explained the presenter in answer to a question from international peat expert, Jack O. Rieley.

The ICCC’s presenter emphasized that the standardization with regard to the Peatland Definition was important that it would lead the way towards consistency of data relating to peatland. Once there is standardization with the Peatland Definition, it will then be important to standardize the peatland mapping methodology in Indonesia. In order to develop this methodology, ICCC is working with peatland mapping experts, and in the interim has already formulated several recommendations relating to peatland mapping methods that need to be adopted in Indonesia.

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ICCC Activity

Information Media of Indonesia Climate Change Center

ICCC introduces its program in the 3rd Indonesia Carbon Update By Farrah Mardiati

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he Indonesia Climate Change Center took the opportunity to introduce its program to the wider climate change community at the 3rd Indonesia Carbon Update (ICU), which was held in Jakarta, 5 to 7 November 2012. As part of this introduction, ICCC also made a presentation on its program planning and deliverables. This forum was a significant opportunity for ICCC to extend its presence in order to gather more potential partners.

ICCC held multiple presentation sessions at the event, which included the general introduction of ICCC as part of a networking update to increase national capacity on climate change in terms of science, policy and investment. ICCC was also involved in several in-depth sessions relevant to its cluster work, such as climate resilience through adaptation and mitigation, peatland studies contributing to Indonesia’s emission reduction target, and bilateral cooperation on Low Emission Development Strategies.

Complementing its presentation sessions, ICCC also took the opportunity to display and disseminate information kits to those attending the event but who were not directly part of its sessions.

It also had a portal walk-through presentation, which enabled the participants to learn the way to access information on the work of ICCC. The Indonesia Carbon Update is an initiative facilitated by the National Council on Climate Change (Dewan Nasional Perubahan Iklim or DNPI), and interested strategic partners, which aims to update the stance of the Government of Indonesia (GOI) on global negotiations on climate change, particularly mitigation issues. It also aims to provide updates on the ongoing initiatives and progress with regard to Indonesia’s mitigation measures to reduce GH emissions. The event also aims to share knowledge, experience as well as thoughts on investment in mitigation measures. It provides the opportunity to meet investors and project developers who are willing to implement low carbon initiatives on the ground because it seeks to involve the Government of Indonesia, donor countries, academics, youth, non-government organizations and the private sector.

photo by: Budi Marta Utama/ICCC

Building Collaborative Partnership in Peatland Mapping in Indonesia By Farrah Mardiati

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n 31 October 2012, ICCC facilitated a meeting to discuss the process of formulating standard methodology ofpeatlandmapping inIndonesia. It was attended by parties with an interest in peatland, including UKP4, representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture, the Geospatial Information Agency (Bakosurtanal), and representatives from NGOs. On this occasion, the group of experts discussed follow up steps in the preparation of the standardsmethodologyof peatland mapping after recommendations were made by the ICCC. Considering the c omplex it y and the ex is ting challengesofpeatland mapping, and the limited resources available, the team of experts agreed that the peatland mapping methodology must be updated through a process of collaborative partnerships. ICCC, as a focal point to bring together the network of scientists and policy makers,will mediate this collaborative partnershipprocess. Through the cooperation between the IndonesianGovernment and the U.S. Government, the ICCC is developing a peatland studies program, with the aim of mapping peatland areas and helping to reduce the loss of peatland ascaused bylandconversion,throughappropriate policies based on study findings.

At this meeting, ICCC compiled new recommendations onmapping methodology ba sed upon the analysis of methodology used previously. It also summarized the results

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of the analysis of peatlands mapping that has been carried out by scientists in Indonesia. Inthe continuing process, the ICCC’srecommendations will be tested in the field to ascertain whether they can be applied or not. For this activity, the team of experts has selected three areas, namely Sumatera, Kalimantan and Papua, as test areasfor the peatland mapping methodology developed by the ICCC. The three areas were selected based on the availability of large peat domes and still forested. The area was also selected because of the unavailability or limited availability of data, so that a new data collection can be carried out accurately, or the data that is already available can be reverified.

Pilot activities will be carried outin three stages. At the same time, these trials will also identify capacity building needs and discuss the solutions that can be used to meet those needs. A standard definition of peatland, which has been developed by the ICCC andis now being submitted to the National Standardization Agency to be standardized, is used as a reference point for the trialmapping.

In addition, the exercise is intended to create an example of mapping peatlands as an ecosystem that will result inpolicy recommendationsfor sustainable peatland management. This is one effort to support the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from peatlands.

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