Best Practices of Environmental Conservation: Sustainable Management of Peatland Ecosystem in ASEAN Environment Division ASEAN Secretariat
Smoke haze is the most serious regional environment problem in ASEAN
• • 1000 km
•
Severe land and forest fires in 1997-1998 UNEP labeled the blaze among the most damaging in recorded history. © NASA TOMS Profound impacts on environmental, economic and social dimensions: agriculture production, health, transportation, tourism, and other economic activities
90% of transboundary haze in southern ASEAN is from peatland fires
Ref: Max- Planck Institute ,2005
Did You Know? Peat is a soil type containing at least 65% of organic matter. It is comprised of partially decayed matter such as stems and roots. The decomposition of organic matter slows down in the presence of water and absence of oxygen, and peat is formed when the rate of accumulation exceeds the rate of decomposition. Over thousand of years, this layer of peat can reach a depth of 20 metres.
Peatland in ASEAN covers 25 million ha, representing 60% of global tropical peatlands
Peatlands Feed People in PeatASEAN swamp Forest in Pahang
communities
Unique Fishing Method in In Lay Lake
Fishing Method in Miri, Sarawak
Khmer boy and his Mekong fish on the way to rural market. Stung Treng, 2011
ASEAN Peatlands support community livelihood and create new economic opportunities
Jelutong (Dyera costulata): Planted as a source of latex for various products
Karas (Aquilaria spp ) is a source ingredient of perfume
ASEAN Peatlands : Key for water storage and flood prevention
• Peatlands: Key for water storage and regulation • Provides Water - Prevents Floods
ASEAN Peatlands are important for carbon storage and reducing GHG emissions
Peatland carbon stores: Global: 550 billion tonnes; ASEAN: 70 billion tonnes (13%) Twice the carbon stored in all global forest biomass combined
But Peatland Emissions: Global: 3-4 billion tonnes CO2 / yr ASEAN: 1.5-2 billion tonnes/yr (50%) Equivalent to 6-7% of global fossil fuel emissions
Peatland Challenges
Peatland Degradation: • Deforestation • Drainage • Land clearing Impacts: • Peatland fires and smoke haze • Climate change: GHG emission • Biodiversity loss • Disruption of water supply
Landuse Change and land subsidence
Sustaining Agriculture
Peatlands
Disruption of water supply
Fires and Transboundar y Haze
Biodiversity loss
The ASEAN Peatland Forests Project on “Rehabilitation and Sustainable Management of Peatlands in Southeast Asia� (2009-2014) Financed with a grant of USD 4,299,164 from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) through the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). Co-financing from AMS and others is about USD20,000,000. A complementary project - Sustainable Management of Peatland Forests in Southeast Asia (SEApeat) was financed by the European Union (Euro 1,789,063) for 2011-2014 through the Global Environment Centre which is also the Regional Project Executing Agency of the APFP
Activities: • Peatland Assessment & Inventory • Fire Prediction, Prevention and Mitigation • Rehabilitation of Fire-prone Sites • Promotion of Sustainable Livelihood • Conservation • Governance & Capacity Building http://www.aseanpeat.net/
Rehabilitation • Hydrological restoration and management canal blocking
•
Re-vegetation
Fast growing indigenous species such as Mahang, Jelutong and Meranti.
Fire spreading along abandoned logging canal on 1st August 2012
29/8/2012
Natural Recovery of forest 18 months after Blocking of canals at same site to raise water table
17/3/2014
Rehabilitation activity participated by public and local community
Fire Prevention and Control • Fire Danger Rating System
• Alternative land clearing and development options
• Fire Danger Rating System by Malaysian Meteorological Department enhanced • Up-to-three days forecast for FFMC, DC, ISI and FWI for Malaysia and ASEAN region • Peatland maps overlaid onto the FDRS and Google Earth
www.met.gov.my
Alternative land clearing and development options
Pineapples cultivated through zero burning techniques in Indonesia
10ha 4 sites 60
Sorjan Farming in Indonesia
‘Sorjan’ system on peatland, mixed paddy and oranges/rubber in South Kalimantan
Incentive • Fire Danger Rating System
• Alternative land clearing and development options
Buying Living Tree System • The Buying Living Tree System, one of the best management practices learned from Indonesia was replicated at national scale. • The System was launched by the President Benigno Aquino. BLTS activities were initiated in Agusan Marsh and Leyte Sab-a Basin. • On-going National Greening Programme which has similar concept has been implemented within the country.
Buffer Zone Management Green Contract System in Vietnam • US$ 40,000 Project funding has been used to support the community livelihoods development of 51 households in 400ha buffer zone of UMTNP (750 USD for each household). • Four models applied: Fruit Vegetables, livestock and crops
trees,
Impact on peatland prevented Evaluation resultreduced, on fires community
livelihood development in 2015: • Household's income increased within the range of EUR 420 to EUR 2,055, following a grant from the project. • Conflict between local community and park stopped and no fires recorded.
Peatland Assessment and Inventory
Peatland Assessment & Inventory: Cambodia 2010 - unknown / 2013 – 7,300ha
7,306.61 ha of unique “mangrove peatland” was identified in one coastal province, Koh Kong Partly Protected in wildlife reserve. Potential Ecotourism development with community
Newly Discovered Peatlands, Myanmar
,
Peat swamp forest,Kauk Ye Island
Inle Lake area = 9,105.94 ha
Newly Discovered Peatlands, Lao PDR
• Identified an area of 94 hectare of floating peatland at Ban Dong, Naxaythong, Vientiane Province; approximately 7.71 hectares of peatland in Ban Boungphao, Pholhong; and estimated 569.9 hectare of peatland areas are found in Champassak Province.
APFP Terminal Evaluation Review • The Project was evaluated by an independent consultation team for Terminal Evaluation Review from 15 September – 10 October 2014 to the four participating countries, namely Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Viet Nam. •
The project was evaluated as being at the highest possible level of achievement – highly satisfactory (with a score for technical delivery of 324/324). According to the TER – the project has made significant and direct contributions, and provided best management practice examples, towards its long-term goal of promoting sustainable management of peatlands in South East Asia to sustain local livelihoods to reduce poverty, reduce risk of fire and associated haze and contribute to global environmental management, particularly biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation.
ASEAN Programme on Sustainable Management of Peatland Ecosystems (SMPE) 2014-2020 Six SMPE Targets 1. 2.
All peatland areas identified and inventorized; Zero-burning uniformly practiced and controlled-burning only in exceptional cases to prevent any uncontrolled wildfires on peatlands, and eliminate any widespread smoke haze;
3.
Fire prone sites rehabilitated by focusing on root causes of fire, Peatlands sustainably managed, sustainable livelihoods enhanced, and sustainable economic use mainstreamed; Peatlands conserved to contribute to significantly reduced emissions of greenhouse gases and increased peatland biodiversity in the region; APMS and NAPs implemented; national and regional capacity enhanced
4. 5. 6.
Thank you http://aseanpeat.net