controlling climate change, protecting biodiversity and environment, and contributing to the social economic welfare of people who are dependent on peatlands.
Tropical peatlands have exceptionally high carbon stocks among any ecosystem
on earth (Page et al. 2011; MOEF 2018). This ecosystem is, however, subject to high
rates of land cover change and deforestation and vulnerable to fires and carbon loss
(Turetsky et al. 2014). Murdiyarso et al. (2019) reported that carbon (C) stocks in
tropical peatland ecosystems could be as much as 3000 Mg C ha
À1 , but the rate of
loss was also phenomenal, causing large greenhouse gases (GHGs) emission of more
than 20 Mg C ha
À1 year
À1 . This ecosystem has been inhabited by many people and a
home of living organisms and various endangered species, such as Orangutans
(Pongo sp.), Sumatran Tigers (Panthera tigris sumatrae), Sumatran Rhinos
(Dicerorhinus sumatrensis), and False Gharials (Tomistoma schlegelii). Tropical
peatlands which are also known as black water habitat maintain biodiversity of
plants, fish and other aquatic animals, providing a source of income for community.
Traditionally, people have been long practicing cultivation on small-scale swamps
and shallow peatlands to support their livelihoods (Osaki et al. 2016; Prayoga 2017).
Indonesia has a large area of peatlands and is the fourth country with the largest
peatlands in the world after Canada, Russia, and the USA. Indonesia’s peatlands are
also the largest tropical peatlands in the world, which is around 50% of the total
world’s tropical peatlands (Rieley and Page 2016). The estimates of peatland area in
Indonesia have been reported varying from 12 to 26 million hectares (Wahyunto and
Suryadiputra 2008; Ritung et al. 2011; Uda et al. 2017). The variable estimated
extent of peatland areas is probably due to different methodology and criteria used,
different interpretation and references used in calculating peatland area.
At the 23rd Conference of Parties (COP)—United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) meeting in Bonn in November 2017, the
Government of Indonesia highlighted its effort to promote sustainable peatlands
management and its significant contribution to tackling climate change. Indonesia is
one of the leading tropical peatlands countries with the pledge to cut global carbon
emission through the protection of peatlands and plays an important role in providing information for adaptation and mitigation strategies as well as knowledge on
peatland governance.
The increasing demand for land due to growing human population, advancing
agricultural frontier, and extractive economic activities as well as infrastructure
development coupled with the specific characteristics of peatlands makes this unique
ecosystem vulnerable to damage with the consequence of increasing GHGs emission
and loss of biodiversity (Posa et al. 2011; Giam et al. 2012). Tropical peatland fires
are reported to be a major contributor to global GHGs emission (Huijnen et al. 2016;
Stockwell et al. 2016). Fires generally occur on degraded tropical peatlands and
rarely occur in intact peat swamp forests (Cole et al. 2019). Draining peatlands
through canals for peatland cultivation has a potential impact on the loss of carbon
stored in peat (IPCC 2014). The loss of carbon released into the atmosphere is
caused by peat drainage due to oxidation and dissolution which triggers fires
(Ramdani and Hino 2013; Carlson et al. 2015; Warren et al. 2017). The level of
emission produced increases with the loss of carbon stored in living biomass
444
H. Krisnawati et al.
Tropical peatlands have exceptionally high carbon stocks among any ecosystem
on earth (Page et al. 2011; MOEF 2018). This ecosystem is, however, subject to high
rates of land cover change and deforestation and vulnerable to fires and carbon loss
(Turetsky et al. 2014). Murdiyarso et al. (2019) reported that carbon (C) stocks in
tropical peatland ecosystems could be as much as 3000 Mg C ha
À1 , but the rate of
loss was also phenomenal, causing large greenhouse gases (GHGs) emission of more
than 20 Mg C ha
À1 year
À1 . This ecosystem has been inhabited by many people and a
home of living organisms and various endangered species, such as Orangutans
(Pongo sp.), Sumatran Tigers (Panthera tigris sumatrae), Sumatran Rhinos
(Dicerorhinus sumatrensis), and False Gharials (Tomistoma schlegelii). Tropical
peatlands which are also known as black water habitat maintain biodiversity of
plants, fish and other aquatic animals, providing a source of income for community.
Traditionally, people have been long practicing cultivation on small-scale swamps
and shallow peatlands to support their livelihoods (Osaki et al. 2016; Prayoga 2017).
Indonesia has a large area of peatlands and is the fourth country with the largest
peatlands in the world after Canada, Russia, and the USA. Indonesia’s peatlands are
also the largest tropical peatlands in the world, which is around 50% of the total
world’s tropical peatlands (Rieley and Page 2016). The estimates of peatland area in
Indonesia have been reported varying from 12 to 26 million hectares (Wahyunto and
Suryadiputra 2008; Ritung et al. 2011; Uda et al. 2017). The variable estimated
extent of peatland areas is probably due to different methodology and criteria used,
different interpretation and references used in calculating peatland area.
At the 23rd Conference of Parties (COP)—United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) meeting in Bonn in November 2017, the
Government of Indonesia highlighted its effort to promote sustainable peatlands
management and its significant contribution to tackling climate change. Indonesia is
one of the leading tropical peatlands countries with the pledge to cut global carbon
emission through the protection of peatlands and plays an important role in providing information for adaptation and mitigation strategies as well as knowledge on
peatland governance.
The increasing demand for land due to growing human population, advancing
agricultural frontier, and extractive economic activities as well as infrastructure
development coupled with the specific characteristics of peatlands makes this unique
ecosystem vulnerable to damage with the consequence of increasing GHGs emission
and loss of biodiversity (Posa et al. 2011; Giam et al. 2012). Tropical peatland fires
are reported to be a major contributor to global GHGs emission (Huijnen et al. 2016;
Stockwell et al. 2016). Fires generally occur on degraded tropical peatlands and
rarely occur in intact peat swamp forests (Cole et al. 2019). Draining peatlands
through canals for peatland cultivation has a potential impact on the loss of carbon
stored in peat (IPCC 2014). The loss of carbon released into the atmosphere is
caused by peat drainage due to oxidation and dissolution which triggers fires
(Ramdani and Hino 2013; Carlson et al. 2015; Warren et al. 2017). The level of
emission produced increases with the loss of carbon stored in living biomass
444
H. Krisnawati et al.