Mitigating Climate Change through Peat Restoration · PDF fileMitigating Climate Change...
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Mitigating Climate Change through Peat Restoration in Central Kalimantan Emissions from peat have put Indonesia among significant emitters in the world. The total emission from the destruction of peat swamp forests between 2000-2005 is around 940 million tons of CO 2 equivalent, according to a 2008 report by Indonesia Forest Climate Alliance (IFCA). This has been the result of the clearing and destruction of extensive areas of peat forests as well as the burning and decomposi- tion that takes place on drained peat. In the 1990s more than one million hectares of wetlands were drained as part of a government driven agricultural initiative in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia. During this time thousands of kilometers of drainage canals were built and large areas of peat land deforested. The majority of this agricultural production initiative failed, however most of the canals remain. This drainage has caused large areas Climate change is increasingly becoming a real threat to nature and communities. Mitigating climate change by reducing and eventually stabilizing levels of greenhouse gas emissions is key to the global fight against climate change. Peat or wetlands only form 3 percent of all land surfaces, yet emissions from burnt and drained peat makes up 10 percent of all carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel. of deforested peat land to both decompose and burn during annual large scale uncontrolled fires. As part of a larger effort, WWF Indonesia joined hands with national and local authorities to establish the Peat Restoration project in Central Kalimantan to help reduce greenhouse gas emission from peat’s decomposition process and fires on drained peat areas. A key initiative of this effort is the canal blockings in the Sebangau National Park. Formerly a logging concession and illegal logging areas, where many drainage canals were built to transport logs, the area is now the largest protected peat forest area on the island. Reductions in carbon emissions are required to reduce the risks of climate change. Action is urgent as greenhouse gas levels are approaching critical levels, and initiatives on the ground to plug the growth of emissions could contribute to the overall effort. Preventing the further degradation and destruction of peat land is an essential part to mitigate as they have been found to be a significant source of emissions. To date, the community based blocking of drainage canals dug into the peat is an effective means to restore the hydrological condition of the soil, thereby preventing further decomposition of the peat, which releases CO 2 into the atmosphere. While the exact impact of canal blockings on reducing the levels of greenhouse gas emissions are being charted and evaluated, the hydrological restoration of drained peat is key to breaking the vicious cycle of seasonal fires thereby potentially preventing large amounts of gas emissions. Support is needed to support the ongoing work to expand this initiative to reach a scale that would significantly feed into the global climate change mitigation. WWF-Indonesia Climate & Energy Program Kantor Taman A9, Unit A-1 Jl. Mega Kuningan Lot 8-9/A9 Kawasan Mega Kuningan Jakarta 12950, Indonesia Tel: 021-5761070 Fax: 021- 5761080 Email: [email protected] Contact us to find out how you can join us and make a difference. wwf.or.id/climate © Text 2009 WWF. All rights reserved. © 1986 Panda symbol WWF. ® WWF Registered Trademark owner. Photos: © WWF-Indonesia, Adventus Panda, Ujel Bausad, Drasospolino, Tira Maya M Design: Arief Darmawan This publication is printed on 100% recycled paper, using vegetable oil - based ink manufactured locally. Contact Peat is a thick layer of organic soil that is trapped in a state of decomposition that is put into halt because of its acidic and anaerobic environ- ment. The organic material, consisting of trees, fungus and partly animal remains, is in a state of extreme humidity and manifests itself in form of swamps, moors, bogs and mires. A natural peat swamp forest functions as a reservoir of water, carbon and biodiversity. Around the world, including Indonesia, large areas of peat soils, are currently drained for agriculture, forestry and peat extraction. As a result, the organic carbon that was built up over thousands of years is exposed to the air, decom- poses and turns into the green- house gas carbon dioxide. This process is taking place all over the world. In tropical regions such as Indonesia, the decom- position process goes more rapidly than in colder regions. Conservative estimates show that decomposition of drained peat causes 1.3 billion tons of CO 2 emissions. Peat fires in The Nature of Peat Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Peat Southeast Asia and Europe as well as peat mining for horticul- ture and fuel bring the annual figure to around 2 billion tons. Since 1990, worldwide peat emissions have increased by more than 20 percent. As soon as groundwater levels fall below land surface, oxygen enters the soil profile and the process of peat oxidation starts. The deeper the groundwater level, the higher the oxida- tion rate becomes. Ground- water levels in an intact peat swamp forest fluctate; during dry periods peat oxidizes while during wet periods peat accumulates. Peat, when drained, turns into a highly combustible material, making it prone to fires in the dry season. In Indonesia, widespread fires are increasingly frequent in drained peat land. About 2.1 million hectares burnt in the 1997/98 El Nino event and drained peat land are becoming major annual fire flash points. In 2002, 2005 and 2006, there were large-scale forest and plantation fires in Central Kalimantan due to forest conversion and peat land exploitation. Blocking the canals in the Sebangau National Park is of crucial importance as it is an effective way to restore the hydrological integrity of the peat swamp forest which is critical to fulfill its natural role as reservoir of water, carbon and biodiversity. It takes thousands of years to form peat. Generally ground- water levels are close to land surface, carbon is sequestered at a rate of approximately 1 millimeter peat accumulation per year, and the area is rich in flora and fauna. Globally, peat form a carbon stock comprising of 528,000 million tons of carbon, which is equivalent to 30 percent of all terrestrial carbon and twice as much as carbons contained in all forests in the world.
Transcript of Mitigating Climate Change through Peat Restoration · PDF fileMitigating Climate Change...
Mitigating Climate Changethrough Peat Restoration in Central Kalimantan
Emissions from peat have put Indonesia amongsignificant emitters in the world. The total emissionfrom the destruction of peat swamp forests between 2000-2005 is around 940 million tons of CO2 equivalent, according to a 2008 report by Indonesia Forest Climate Alliance (IFCA). This has been the result of the clearing and destruction of extensive areas of peat forests as well as the burning and decomposi-tion that takes place on drained peat.
In the 1990s more than one million hectares ofwetlands were drained as part of a government driven agricultural initiative in Central Kalimantan,Indonesia. During this time thousands of kilometersof drainage canals were built and large areas ofpeat land deforested. The majority of this agriculturalproduction initiative failed, however most of thecanals remain. This drainage has caused large areas
Climate change is increasinglybecoming a real threat to natureand communities. Mitigating climate
change by reducing and eventually stabilizinglevels of greenhouse gas emissions is keyto the global fight against climate change.Peat or wetlands only form 3 percent of allland surfaces, yet emissions from burnt anddrained peat makes up 10 percent of allcarbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel.
of deforested peat land to both decompose and burn during annual large scale uncontrolled fires.
As part of a larger effort, WWF Indonesia joined hands with national and local authorities to establish the Peat Restoration project in Central Kalimantan to help reduce greenhouse gas emission from peat’s decomposition process and fires on drained peat areas. A key initiative of this effort is the canal blockings in the Sebangau National Park. Formerly a logging concession and illegal logging areas, where many drainage canals were built to transport logs, the area is now the largest protected peat forest area on the island.
Reductions in carbon emissions are required to reduce the risks of climate change. Action is urgent as greenhouse gas levels are approaching critical levels, and initiatives on the ground to plug the growth of emissions could contribute to the overall effort.
Preventing the further degradation and destruction of peat land is an essential part to mitigate as they have been found to be a significant source of emissions. To date, the community based blocking of drainage canals dug into the peat is an effective means to restore the hydrological condition of the soil, thereby preventing further decomposition of the peat, which releases CO2 into the atmosphere.
While the exact impact of canal blockings on reducing the levels of greenhouse gas emissions are being charted and evaluated, the hydrological restoration of drained peat is key to breaking the vicious cycle of seasonal fires thereby potentially preventing large amounts of gas emissions. Support is needed to support the ongoing work to expand this initiative to reach a scale that would significantly feed into the global climate change mitigation.
WWF-IndonesiaClimate & Energy Program
Kantor Taman A9, Unit A-1Jl. Mega Kuningan Lot 8-9/A9Kawasan Mega KuninganJakarta 12950, IndonesiaTel: 021-5761070Fax: 021- 5761080Email: [email protected]
Contact us to find out how you can join us and make a difference.
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Photos: © WWF-Indonesia, Adventus Panda, Ujel Bausad, Drasospolino, Tira Maya M
Design: Arief Darmawan
This publication is printed on 100% recycled paper, using vegetable oil - based ink manufactured locally.
Contact
Peat is a thick layer of organic soil that is trapped in a state of decomposition that is put into halt because of its acidic and anaerobic environ-ment. The organic material, consisting of trees, fungus and partly animal remains, is in a state of extreme humidity and manifests itself in form of swamps, moors, bogs and mires.
A natural peat swamp forest functions as a reservoir of water, carbon and biodiversity.
Around the world, including Indonesia, large areas of peat soils, are currently drained for agriculture, forestry and peat extraction. As a result, the organic carbon that was built up over thousands of years is exposed to the air, decom-poses and turns into the green-house gas carbon dioxide. This process is taking place all over the world. In tropical regions such as Indonesia, the decom-position process goes more rapidly than in colder regions. Conservative estimates show that decomposition of drained peat causes 1.3 billion tons of CO2 emissions. Peat fires in
The Nature of Peat
Greenhouse Gas Emissions from PeatSoutheast Asia and Europe as well as peat mining for horticul-ture and fuel bring the annual figure to around 2 billion tons. Since 1990, worldwide peat emissions have increased by more than 20 percent.
As soon as groundwater levels fall below land surface, oxygen enters the soil profile and the process of peat oxidation starts. The deeper the groundwater level, the higher the oxida-tion rate becomes. Ground-water levels in an intact peat swamp forest fluctate; during dry periods peat oxidizes while during wet periods peat
accumulates. Peat, when drained, turns into a highly combustible material, making it prone to fires in the dry season. In Indonesia, widespread fires are increasingly frequent in drained peat land. About 2.1 million hectares burnt in the 1997/98 El Nino event and drained peat land are becoming major annual fire flash points. In 2002, 2005 and 2006, there were large-scale forest and plantation fires in Central Kalimantan due to forest conversion and peat land exploitation.
Blocking the canals in the Sebangau National Park is of crucial importance as it is an effective way to restore the hydrological integrity of the peat swamp forest which is critical to fulfill its natural role as reservoir of water, carbon and biodiversity.
It takes thousands of years to form peat. Generally ground-water levels are close to land surface, carbon is sequestered at a rate of approximately 1 millimeter peat accumulation per year, and the area is rich in flora and fauna.
Globally, peat form a carbon stock comprising of 528,000 million tons of carbon, which is equivalent to 30 percent of all terrestrial carbon and twice as much as carbons contained in all forests in the world.
Stretching an area of 568,700 hectares, the Sebangau National Park marks the largest protected peat land of Indonesia’s Kalimantan. The dense forest area comprises of thick layers of peat that goes up to 10 meters deep.
The peat ecosystem serves as a water catchments area as well as freshwater reservoir for the surrounding areas, which covers the three regencies in the Province of Central Kalimantan, serving nearly 70,000 people.
Parts of the National Park used to serve as logging concessions, despite of the fact that it contains high value biodiversity. More than 800 plant species have been recorded in the area. It is also home to 150 bird species, 34 fish species and 35 mammal species including the Orangutan. The latest data revealed that more than 6,000 individual Orangutans live in the park, but they are under pressure in recent years as their habitat continues to shrink and fragment from seasonal fire, and illegal logging.
The Sebangau Peat Ecosystem
800 plant species
150 bird species
34 fish species35 mammal species
Nearly 600 thousand hectares of high value
biodiversity, the largest protected peat forest area
in Kalimantan
In 2005, WWF Indonesia teamed up with the local community and Park Rangers to block canals that were dug into the peat forest of the Sebangau National Park to improve the hydrological function of the wetlands. The community canals in the eastern part of the park selected for the project were mainly located in the Bangah and Bakung river basin.
Canals have been built in the past to allow humans to go deep into the forest to obtain resources, mostly timber. But these canals have also played a major role in draining the peat as it allows water to escape from the moist layers of the swamps, releasing carbon trapped in the peat and making the soil prone to fire in the dry season.
Until 2009, Around 176 dams have been constructed to block or slow down water flow, allowing the water table of the drained peat to rise. The construction used natural materials and is built to last up to 20 years. Also, the dams were
Rewetting the Peatlands
Initial groundwater monitoring revealed that water fluctuation had stabilized and eventually raised the humidity of the peat following the canals blockings. This was identi-fied by placing plastic tube wells on both the left and right side of the dams to allow regular observation of groundwater levels. Hydrologi-cal modeling was used to compare levels before and after the construc-tion of dams. Dutch research group Alterra and Palangkaraya University were commissioned to carry out the hydrological study. For modeling of the impact to the peat ecosystem, base on the spatial approach, is supported by RSS GmbH, a Germany Research Institution.
The impact of hydrological restoration on emissions are being evaluated. However, it is known that raising the water table has a short-term impact on CO2 emissions as it slows down the peat decomposition process. It is also found to be critical to reducing fire risk. A 2008 study by Hokkaido University reveals that CO2 emissions depend greatly on both water levels and surface temperature. Emissions in drained peat decrease when water table is raised to a certain point.
WWF Indonesia selected a total of 56 sites to evaluate and project the long term impact of canal blockings to lowering emission levels. Efforts are now ongoing to recapitalize the levels of greenhouse gases that would otherwise be emitted if the peat had stayed dry. The baselines for this study was produced by forestry and carbon markets agency TerraCarbon and the Project Design Document (PDD) development will be assisted by Winrock International.
Charting The Progress
New Trees, New Hopedesigned to allow vegetation to grow on top of it to allow it to blend into its natural surroundings. Dams started as close as possible to the upstream and more were subsequently placed towards the downstream.
As part of mitigating climate change, WWF-Indonesia, in coopera-tion with corporate partners, launched a tree planting campaign in 2007 in Sebangau National Park in Central Kalimantan. This initiative,
called NEWtrees, gives people an innovative way to help reforest this protected national park and monitor the growth of the trees through geo tags (trees labeled with precise latitude and longitude coordinates) viewable via Google Earth and Yahoo Maps.
The site chosen for the initial replanting grid is located near the joint WWF – park authority’s Sebangau field office, approxi-mately 45 minutes by boat from the capital of Central Kalimantan, Palangkaraya. More than 100 thousand trees have been planted as part of the initial phase, in which
Nokia and Equinox Publishing participated as corporate partners. Indonesian airline Garuda Indonesia participated in the second phase, which saw another 100 thousand trees replanted. The new trees join hundreds of thousands of trees that have been replanted in previous programs, with the first trees standing as tall as 4 meters today.
This initiative, called NEWtrees,gives people an innovative way to help reforest
this protected national parkand monitor the growth of the trees
