Over the past 10-15 years large areas of peat swamp forest have been cleared and converted for other uses mainly agriculture. This has led to the loss of significant carbon stores and sinks as well as loss of biodiversity and hydrological functions. Some of this land conversion has not been successful such as the so-called Million hectare or Mega-Rice project which was abandoned in 1998. It is now recognized by the Indonesian Government that the remaining peat swamp forests need to be protected and that measures are needed to ensure sustainability and minimize GHG emissions from previously developed areas. However, this is a significant challenge in the world’s forth most populous country with significant economic constraints.

Values of Peatland

Indonesian peatswamp forest vegetation has been recognized as an important reservoir of plant diversity (Silvius et al., 1984; Whitmore, 1984). Peat swamp forests has a relatively high diversity of tree species. More than 300 tree species have been recorded in swamp forests of Sumatra, some of which are becoming increasingly rare. From Berbak National Park alone, already more than 160 tree species are known (Giesen, 1991). Many of the plants are restricted or endemic to this habitat. The peat forests of Indonesia provide many commercial timber species including Ramin (Gonystylus bancanus), Jelutung (Dyera costulata), Meranti (Shorea spp.) These forests are home to many rare and endangered wildlife species such as Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatranus), tapir (Tapirus indicus), Asian elephant (Elephas maximus sumatrensis), lesser one-horned rhino (Rhinoceros sondaicus), orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) and hundreds of bird species, including hornbills and cassowaries. Black-water rivers (peatland rivers) inIndonesia are important fish habitats that often have a higher degree of localized endemism than other rivers, and are important source of aquarium fishes.

Indonesian peat swamp forest play important functional roles in regulation of hydrology. Such functions as flood control, flow regulation, water supply and prevention of saline water intrusion are crucial to maintain integrity of the surrounding ecosystem.


Peatland and Climate Change

There are currently about 14 million ha of Peat Swamp Forest and six million ha of peatland under agricultural production in Indonesia mainly in Sumatra, Kalimantan and Irian Jaya. This represents over 70% of peatland area in Southeast Asia and about 50% of the world’s tropical peatlands. Due to development and rising population pressure, severe degradation of peatland in Indonesia (and resulting loss of sink capacity and high carbon emissions) is likely to continue in coming years unless prompt action is taken to safeguard these resources. Estimates of the carbon content of Indonesia’s peatlands, based upon information on bulk density of different peat types, total areas, mean depths and percentage carbon content, range from 16-39 Gigatonnes (Gt or thousand million tonnes) or about 1-3% of the global terrestrial carbon store. Estimates of the annual rate of carbon sequestration by peatlands in Indonesia vary from 10 – 93 million tonnes. If disturbed by drainage and burning, the stored carbon is released to the atmosphere contributing to the greenhouse effect. If maintained in their natural state, CO2 is incorporated as organic carbon into dying biomass and stored in the peat - moderating climate change.

Data presented in the First National Communication indicated that the forests including peat swamp forests were also sequestering carbon but at a rate which was about half of the release rate indicating a decline from 1990 when emission and sequestration from the forest sector was thought to be in balance. The massive emissions from forest and peat fires and land clearing in the late 1990’s has exacerbated the situation. For example, conservative estimates of the emissions from the 1997 fires were 750 million tonnes (Bappenas, 1999). This is 15 times more than the estimate of emissions from fire in 1994 and represents about 2% of global emissions. As a result of the above, improved management of forests has been identified as one of the key GHG mitigation measures in the First National Communication. Specific control and mitigation measures proposed include: Strengthen forest management policy and enforcement; prevent forest fires; rehabilitate forest areas; promote low-impact logging; and reduction in land conversion.

Urgent action is becoming more critical in the light of the forest fire episodes in Indonesia. Forest fires in 1997/98 burnt or partially degraded more than 1.45 million ha of peatlands, about 10% of the total peatland areas in Indonesia. Fires in peat soils were identified (Bappenas/Asian Development Bank, 1999), as the major contributors (about 60% of particulates) to the smoke that enveloped a major part of Southeast Asia. High levels of forest fire are predicted for 2001 associated with an anticipated El-Nino event.

Indonesia peatlands have a broad range of values to local communities the nation as well as the globe. Peatlands are important sources of timber and non-timber forest products and also play a key role in the hydrology of surrounding areas moderating floods and providing dry season water supply. In addition, they are globally significant as carbon stores and sinks as well as for the conservation of biodiversity. Hence the sustainable management of peatlands will bring multiple benefits to the local and global community.

Carbon Assessment Methodology

The project will develop a variety of specific methodologies for assessment of carbon stocks in peatlands and the impact of different management actions on them. The methodologies to be developed will include those for measuring carbon stocks above and below ground; models for analysing impacts of land use change on carbon stocks; carbon emissions as a result of disturbance to the peat ecosystems. The methodologies are being developed through adaptation of existing methods; development of new methods through a series of interactive workshops as well as on-line deliberations.

Papers and Reports more.. 01-Dec-2001 Methods for sampling carbon stocks above and below ground Methods for sampling carbon stocks above and below ground