Gambut Rupat English

Deforestation and Peatland Fires in Rupat Island Prayoto Forest Division Planning, Riau Provincial Forestry Services, [email protected] Abstract : Riau Province has the largest peat swamp forest ecosystems in Sumatra Island cover the area ± 4 million hectares or 45% of Riau Province mainland. Riau peat swamp forests continues to decline due to the conversion of peat swamp forests for palm oil and acacia plantations. Peatland has function like a sponge absorbing and storing large amounts of water, so that in natural conditions, peatland is very difficult to burn. However canalization for palm oil and acacia plantations has transformed peatland into flammable and loss function as a source of water in the dry season. Riau Province has two types of peat, the first is peat mainland and the second is peat islands. Peat islands are highly vulnerable to disruption and land use changes because it only rely on rain for water sources, while peat mainland get water from river and rain. Thus the peat dome in center of island has played important role as water storage and slowly releases water in the dry season. On this occasion, the authors conducted a study peat forest conversion in Rupat island related to peat fires. Rupat island is located in the East of Dumai City, it has an area ± 148500 ha. But actually Rupat island is a union of two islands separated by Morong strait. This study focuses on south Rupat island ± 117900 ha which majority consist of peatland, while North Rupat island is mineral soil. Development of palm oil plantations in Rupat island was done by burning, while acacia plantation development on peat dome resulted drought in downstream, causing major fire in 2014 and 2015. This paper is expected to be a input for Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of Riau Province and Goverment of Bengkalis Regency to peat ecosystem restoration that was already damaged.

Keywords: hotspots, overlay, forest area, peatland, palm oil plantation, acacia plantation, vegetation

International seminar, Riau University, Pekanbaru Agustus 5th, 2015

Cooperation between Riau University, Kyoto University dan Government of Pelalawan Regency

1 PREFACE

Exploitation of natural resources in small islands require careful and detailed planning. Exploitation need to be done sustainably (WCED, 1987), due to small islands have a limited resource capacity. It has been conceived jointly by various nations in the Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States (UNGA, 1994). One of resolutions stated that sustainability of the resources in small islands heavily dependent on asset management of its resources, which they are generally under pressure. One of outermost Indonesian small islands is Rupat islands in Bengkalis Regency. Rupat has strategic and importance function related to free trade era and globalization and desire to bring border region as the front page, which is based on security and prosperity, development of border areas needs to be accelerated, but with consideration of environment carrying capacity because of its nature as a small island. Rupat has annual rainfall 2,356 mm / year. Average air temperature between 25.5 ° C - 26.4 ° C. The dry season occurs from March to August, while the rainy season occurs from September to February. Monthly air pressure average 1010.5. Mayority area of Rupat island (95%) is relatively flat, with slope dominant 0-3% and 3-8%. Region with slope> 45%, just covering <1% of the entire island. The maximum altitude is 40 m above sea level (asl), most area have a height <30 m asl (Rupat Island Integrated Urban City, 2008). Rupat soil types are devided into two major groups. The first group is mineral soil with young development level, either with or without the characteristic of hidromorfik, majority is located in Northern Rupat and the second group is peatland majority located in Southern Rupat. These studies focus on peat swamp forest conversion into palm oil and acacia plantations on Southern Rupat. Peatland functions like a sponge absorbing and store large amounts of water, if undisturbed peat land is able to store as much water as 0.8 - 0.9 m3 / m3 of peat. However canalization has transformed peatland into flammable and loss of function as a source of water in the dry season.

Analyses were performed using Geographic Information System (GIS) for Landsat imagery data processing and hot spots to determine environmental changes that occur during a certain period. Hot spot data from MODIS imagery can be used as an indication of forest / land fires, either crown fire, surface fire and ground fire. (Ratna Sari in Achmad Siddik Thoha, 2008).

2 METHODOLOGY Analyzes of deforestation and peat fires in Rupat island starting from digital maps collection in Riau Forestry Service Office in form of Riau administration map, forest land use agreement map (TGHK), Indonesian topography map (RBI), Forestry concession map, Riau leasehold map, Peat distribution map, Landsat imagery map and hot spot data from MODIS satellite. After that hot spot data overlay with Riau thematic maps by ArcGIS Software. Step-by-step hot spot data analysis : 1. Downloading NASA data hot spots from

https://firms.modaps.eosdis.nasa.gov/download/request.php

2. Downloading landsat imagery data from web site http://glovis.usgs.gov/

3. Combining Landsat Band with ArcGIS Software click on Data Management Tools Raster Composite Bands, then double-click on the Composite Bands. Can combine more than 3 channels.

4. Open hot spot data with ArcView software by clicking on the add button Project page as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1. Open hotspot data 5. Click the View> Add Event Theme to see hot

spots position on the map. 6. Change text data format into shapefile format

by click Theme> Convert to Shapefile 7. Open Riau Administrative Map, forest land use

agreement map, Indonesian topography map, forestry concession map, Riau leasehold map, and Landsat Imagery map from 1989 until 2014 with click View> Add Theme



8. Combine hotspot column with table in each digital map with "Spatial Join" by click View> Geoprocessing Wizard, select Assign data by location and select hotspot 2002-2014 for above column and administration boundary for bottom column as Figure 2. Perform same steps to another table digital map.

Figure 2. Joining colomns between tables

9. Open hot spots data table Dbf format (* .dbf) by Microsoft Excel 2003. Then click Pivot Table to calculate hot spots based on Riau administration, forest land use agreement map, Indonesian topography map, forestry concession map, Riau leasehold map, and landsat imagery map as figure 3.

Figure 3. Calculating hot spots data based on map theme

3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

3.1 Regional Conditions Southern Rupat administration consists of 14 village. Total area of each village can be seen in Table 1 (Rupat District in figures 2014).

Table 1. Total area of village in South Rupat island

Village Population Area (Ha) % Area

Batu Panjang 5.365 13.771 11,68 Darul Aman 1.687 10.198 8,65 Dungu Baru 1.250 6.554 5,56 Hutan Panjang 2.253 5.486 4,65 Pangkalan Nyirih 2.634 1.279 1,08 Parit Kebumen 1.682 917 0,78 Pergam 2.762 9.825 8,33 Sei Cingam 2.940 1.563 1,33 Sri Tanjung 1.334 2.922 2,48 Sukarjo Mesim 1.547 3.854 3,27 Tanjung Kapal 4.334 24.545 20,82 Teluk Lecah 2.225 8.159 6,92 Terkul 3.867 10.066,95 8,54 Titi Akar 5.290 18.759 15,91

Total 117.900

3.2 South Rupat peatland area Based on Sumatra island peatland map, South Rupat peatland area is 88 881 ha / 75.39% of the land as in Table 2 (Ministry of Agriculture) Table 2. Peatland depth in South Rupat Island

Depht Area (Ha) (%) 0,5 - 1 m 1 - 2 m 2 - 3 m > 4 m

377 50.566 27.346 10.592

0,42 56,89 30,77 11,92

Total 88.881 Before palm oil and forest industry concession were issued by Ministry of Forestry, peat swamp forest in south Rupat still good managed with selective logging by PT. Sri Buana Dumai forest concession. Peatland distribution maps and cocession can be seen in figure 4.



Figure 4. Peatland distribution maps in south Rupat List of concession issued by Ministry of Forestry in peatland can be seen in Table 3.

Tabel 3. Peatland Forestry concession in south Rupat

Company Area (Ha) (%) PT. SRL PT. MMJ PT. SG

38.382 9.998 7.804

68,31 17,80 13,89

Total 56.184 PT. SRL converting most of peat swamp forest in peat dome area that serves as a water supply during dry season.

3.3 Based on Forest Function The forest function of South Rupat Peatland is limited production forest that must be managed with selective logging system in order to maintain peat function as water resources in dry season. Forest functions can be seen in Table 4.

Table 4. Peatland Forest Area in South Rupat based on Forest Land Use Agreement

Forest Function Area (%) Limited forest production Conversion forest production Another usage area

75.356 6.600 6.925

84,78 7,43 7,79

Total 88.881 But by the reason to increase peat swamp forest productivity, Ministry of Forestry were issued cocession for palm oil and acacia plantation. Forest function map can be seen in Figure 5

Figure 5. Forest Function Map in South Rupat

3.4 Deforestation in south Rupat Before Ministry of Forestry issue concession for palm oil and acacia plantations majority of peat swamp forest in South Rupat still good. People’s settlement and community rubber plantations almost entirely on mineral soil. People consider it was important for peat swamp in middle of island was maintained as a source of water in the dry season. Forest utilization only for timber construction and non-timber forest products.



The first Peatland Deforestation in South Rupat occurred in 1996 with issuance of palm oil concession for PT. SG by Minister of Forestry decree No. 162 / Kpts-II / 1993 dated February 27, 1993 covering an area 8498 Ha. Palm Oil planting was completed in 1999. Map of PT. SG land clearing can be seen in Figure 6.

Figure 6. Land clearing in 1996

Can be seen PT. SG using canals to drain peatland to be planted with palm oil. Second deforestation second occurred in 2004 with the issuance of leasehold (HGU) for PT. MMJ by Decree of Head of National Land Agency No. 48 / HGU / BPN / 2004 dated August 11, 2004 covering an area of 6000 Ha. PT. MMJ not get palm oil concession from Ministry of Forestry because of their land are in Limited Production Forest (HPT). HGU area was planted completly in 2006.

Forestry Minister legalize this crime in 2008, by issuing palm oil concession in limited production forest area with ministerial decree No. SK. 37 / Menhut-II / 2008 dated February 20, 2008 covering an area of 13 415 hectares. In 2015

PT. MMJ expand plantation area so that all of concession that have been released by the Ministry of Forestry can be planted with oil palm. Map of PT. MMJ and clearing area can be seen in Figure 7.

Figure 7. Land clearing in 2004 Third peatland deforestation in south Rupat occurred in 2009 with issuance of Utilization License for Timber Forest Products at Industrial Forest Plantation (HTI IUPHHK-) for PT. SRL by Minister of Forestry decree No. SK.208 / Menhut-II / 2007 dated May 25, 2007 covering an area of 38 210 hectares. Acacia planting was completed in 2012. Map of PT. SRL land clearing area can be seen in Figure 8.

Figure 8. Land clearing in 2013



3.5 Deforestation and hotspots Deforestation is closely related with hot spots occurrence because it used canalization system to drain peatland so that it become flammable. At natural conditions to burn peat swamp forest was almost impossible because it was in wet and humid conditions. The discussion will be presented for each company.

3.5.1 PT. SG In 1996 when PT. SG convert peat swamp forest become palm oil plantation, peat fires occur directly as shown in Figure 6. On map it looks a canal was built so huge to make peatland become dry even though surrounding area was forested and there was only one water outlet. PT. SG Plantation relatively safe from fires until 2002 when fire swept through almost entire plantation area as shown in Figure 9. This incident proves that peat island extremely vulnerable to drain, although surrounding area was still forested. In 2005 fire struck again almost the entire area of PT. SG and giving evidence to us that palm oil plantation is very dangerous either in terms of environment and economy. In May 2007 there was a HGU shift concession from PT. SG to PT. PR so that until 2015 PT. PR was relatively safe from fire related to new company introduced a different technology than previous shareholders. In 2011 when author visited PT. PR area, plantation was 6 years old. Figure 9. Burn area and hotspots in 2002

3.5.2 PT. MMJ In 2004 when PT. MMJ was doing peat swamp forest conversion directly peat fires occur as shown in Figure 7. It was because of very large canals. Peat fires coincide with land clearing activities, this was due to land clearing by fires requires almost no cost, at same time it improved peat land fertility. After land clearing activities completed in 2006 until today PT. MMJ area relatively safe from fires.

Figure 10. Burn area and hotspots in 2006

3.5.3 PT. SRL Land clearing activities by PT. SRL relatively safe from fires, because company use water management technology, until 2012 when plantation area was completed, PT. SRL relatively safe from fires. However, because PT. SRL location was in midle of south Rupat which was peat dome area, the island started suffer drought conditions, in 2013 a fire started in Pergam village which being conflict with PT. SRL. 2014 was the peak of fire, although forests in north and east of PT. SRL was still good but due to severe drought forest being burned including PT. SRL acacia plantation as shown in



Figure 11. Peatland fires in 2014 spread to burn rubber and palm oil plantation near people village. It proves the important role of peat dome as a source of water in dry season, but because it has been converted into acacia plantation water source was almost vanish.

Gambar 11. Burn area and hotspots in 2014

3.5.4 Plantation without license AZ pesantren was the first plantation without permission burn peatland in order to land clearing in 2005 and continued in 2006. After that was relatively safe from fire because AZ pesantren was canceled to built. Akam was the second plantation burn peatland in 2009, but because of area only 400 Ha the impact was very small as shown in Figure 12. Figure 12. Burn area and hotspots 2009

Until 2013 peat fires are relatively limited to area around Pergam village and Teluk Lecah village and most of it triggered by land conflict with PT. SRL. 3.6 Peatland water resources Peat Island in south Rupat rely on water sources during dry season from peat dome located in middle island. Community said on natural condition peat dome able to regulate water discharge so that no flood during rainy season and releasing water slowly during dry season. Situation changed when peat dome was converted into acacia plantation, when rain season down stream area become flood caused by water overflow from company canal, while in dry season water become scarce where previously drought never happened. Digital Elevation Model map and rivers flow in figure 13 can be seen clearly peat dome function.

Figure 13. Land Elevation Map

Map above shows peat dome is water catchment for island of South Rupat, so it must be kept in natural condition.

3.7 Peat fires mitigation

3.7.1 Limited forest production area Acacia plantation activities that use canal system must be closed immediately at limited production forest area. Ministry of Environment and Forestry should replace clearcut silvicultural system with selective logging. This is important because canal system drain peatland become prone to fire. Acacia plantations at peat dome should be moved to bordering area with mineral soil, thus peat dome can supply water during dry season so it is not flammable again. Furthermore, give encroachment licence of Community Forest Plantation (HTR) by not using canals for plantation area, encroachers



land can be empowered become acacia plants in cooperation with acacia plantation company. The success of forest encroachment management would greatly reduce peat fire, regarding encroachers has always used fire for land clearing.

3.7.2 Canal Blocking Palm oil and acacia plantation companies are required to use canal blocking at a minimum distance 500 meters, to ensure water level remains high and not directly discharged into the sea. Canal blocking at palm oil and acacia plantations hold important role because it becomes source of water in dry season for community settlement located on coast of Rupat island.

4 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

4.1 Conclusion 1. Palm oil plantation in south Rupat burned area

for land clearing activity, but fire relativly can be controlled after successful plantation.

2. Acacia plantation use zero polcy burning, but regarding they used peat dome area make drought impact for downstream area, causing devastating fire in 2014 until now.

3. Canal blocking at least every 500 m on palm oil and acacia plantations are expected to keep water storage in order to not quickly flow to sea. In this case PT. Agro Meskom Sarimas can be used an example.

4.2 Recommendation 1. Peat dome in middle of island should be

returned to natural condition. 2. Peat fires problem solution should be done by

all parties regarding water is a commodity that should be regulated along together.

3. Land ownership Inventory, state forest, and company plantation in order to develop sustainable peatland management.

4. Law enforcement firmly and consistently against actor and parties who cause fires, including prevention of transaction costs that may increase certain parties to make fire.

Reference Acep Akbar, Forest Fire Control Community-based as a Prevention and Early Fire Extinguishing, Forestry Research Center, 2007, Banjar Baru

Achmad Siddik Thoha, Hotspot data usage for monitoring forest fires in Indonesia, Faculty of Agriculture, North Sumatra University, 2008, Medan

Anonim, Bengkalis Regency in Figure, Statistic Central Agency of Bengkalis Regency, 2014, Bengkalis

Mustara Hadi, Spatial modeling for fire prone area at Peatland (Case Study Bengkalis District, Riau Province), Institure of Bogor Agricultural, 2006, Bogor

Ministry of Man Power and Tranmigration, Rupat Island Integrated Urban City, 2008, Jakarta

Widiatmaka, et al, Conference on Geospatial Engineering and Information Science, Gadjah Mada University, Land Suitability and Rupat Spatial Information, 2014, Yogyakarta

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