the site, and the effectiveness of the design applied to retain and raise water in the
canal course. There are also major technical issues with regard to the attempt to
address peat porosity and fragility, water seepages from underneath and banks of the
dams that need to be resolved.
Further challenge includes social issues which commonly exist in the restoration
of hydrology of tropical peatland. Social acceptance and license have to be prioritized and managed properly in order to ensure the effectiveness of hydrological
restoration. Various stakeholders in the society have different values and perspectives and enjoy different benefits from hydrological restoration. Illegal loggers and
non-timber forest products collectors, for instance, may see the canal blocking and
canal backfilling programs as a threat to their livelihood’s sustainability since the
drainage canals have been commonly used for navigating and transporting their
felled logs and other non-timber products from the interior forest to the end consumers or users. This stakeholder group generally opposes hydrological peatland
restoration, and if their expectation is not managed wisely, then, the hydrological
restoration will face tremendous challenges in terms of durability and sustainability.
Regarding socio-economic aspect, selecting the appropriate livelihood strategy
and interventions is another challenge that needs to be addressed following the
hydrological restoration technical intervention. Ideally, a water-based and environmental service-based livelihood strategy needs to be developed and adopted to
ensure the sustainability of hydrological restoration in the long run. Hence, activities
such as aquaculture, paludiculture, silvofishery, ecotourism, and payment for environmental services should be on top of the list of options for livelihood following
hydrological restoration.
To ensure the hydrological management and measures meet their goals, stakeholders should pay attention to the followings:
First, a good hydrological planning based on the updated and rigorous data and
information about the characteristics and profiles of the peatland hydrological unit as
well as its water balance needs to be conducted. The plan should be depicted in both
technical-scientific narrative and detailed maps of the characteristics of physical and
chemical properties of the peatland; hydrological behaviors and water balance status;
drivers and rate of drainage; and technical interventions and their locations as well as
monitoring and evaluation schemes which include the effectiveness and success rate.
Without those data and information, the hydrological management will not satisfy
its goal.
Second, technical interventions and measures should be developed in accordance
with the detailed planning that has been prepared prior to the implementation of any
interventions and measures on-site.
Third, a rigorous monitoring and evaluation mechanism needs to be prepared and
set up to monitor whether all interventions and measures implemented on-site are in
compliance with the detailed plan and to decide if any of the technical interventions
and measures needs to be adjusted to avoid yawning gaps due to deviation from the
initial goals.
590
A. Dohong and L. Tanika
canal course. There are also major technical issues with regard to the attempt to
address peat porosity and fragility, water seepages from underneath and banks of the
dams that need to be resolved.
Further challenge includes social issues which commonly exist in the restoration
of hydrology of tropical peatland. Social acceptance and license have to be prioritized and managed properly in order to ensure the effectiveness of hydrological
restoration. Various stakeholders in the society have different values and perspectives and enjoy different benefits from hydrological restoration. Illegal loggers and
non-timber forest products collectors, for instance, may see the canal blocking and
canal backfilling programs as a threat to their livelihood’s sustainability since the
drainage canals have been commonly used for navigating and transporting their
felled logs and other non-timber products from the interior forest to the end consumers or users. This stakeholder group generally opposes hydrological peatland
restoration, and if their expectation is not managed wisely, then, the hydrological
restoration will face tremendous challenges in terms of durability and sustainability.
Regarding socio-economic aspect, selecting the appropriate livelihood strategy
and interventions is another challenge that needs to be addressed following the
hydrological restoration technical intervention. Ideally, a water-based and environmental service-based livelihood strategy needs to be developed and adopted to
ensure the sustainability of hydrological restoration in the long run. Hence, activities
such as aquaculture, paludiculture, silvofishery, ecotourism, and payment for environmental services should be on top of the list of options for livelihood following
hydrological restoration.
To ensure the hydrological management and measures meet their goals, stakeholders should pay attention to the followings:
First, a good hydrological planning based on the updated and rigorous data and
information about the characteristics and profiles of the peatland hydrological unit as
well as its water balance needs to be conducted. The plan should be depicted in both
technical-scientific narrative and detailed maps of the characteristics of physical and
chemical properties of the peatland; hydrological behaviors and water balance status;
drivers and rate of drainage; and technical interventions and their locations as well as
monitoring and evaluation schemes which include the effectiveness and success rate.
Without those data and information, the hydrological management will not satisfy
its goal.
Second, technical interventions and measures should be developed in accordance
with the detailed planning that has been prepared prior to the implementation of any
interventions and measures on-site.
Third, a rigorous monitoring and evaluation mechanism needs to be prepared and
set up to monitor whether all interventions and measures implemented on-site are in
compliance with the detailed plan and to decide if any of the technical interventions
and measures needs to be adjusted to avoid yawning gaps due to deviation from the
initial goals.
590
A. Dohong and L. Tanika