There had also been little attention paid to forest resource conservation and the
environment. But around 1910 some people began to express worries over the
sustainability of the businesses, especially in light of the rapid depletion of resources,
particularly the massive and ever-increasing amount of timber logging. In 1916, the
report of Van Braam said that the natural capacity of trees to grow was enough to
sustain the resources. However, according to the report of the forest manager
(Houtvester) Lundqvist in 1934, forest depletion in Kateman, Riau, was apparent;
thus, logging should be suspended. The forest in Indragiri had also experienced
excessive exploitation from logging, firewood collecting, and charcoal making for
over 40 years, thus dramatically shrinking resources. The report of forest manager
De Haan said in 1934 that although no excessive exploitation was found, a precise
territorial survey on the resources should be conducted, citing the importance of the
forest in this area to the world timber market (Sewandono 1937, pp. 660–662).
We have come to understand the expansion of panglong businesses in Riau,
Bengkalis, and Lingga, especially in the peat swamp forests. In the nineteenth
century, panglong business people received concessions from the sultanate states
or the sultanate autonomous government. In the twentieth century, the Dutch
colonial government or the regional government issued concessions to panglong
businesspeople, giving rise to several problems such as labor abuse and environmental degradation. However, there were not any reports on peatland fire or serious
peatland degradation yet.
23.2.2 People’s Use of Peatland During the Colonial Era
According to Sewandono, the peat layer in the wetlands extended inland was thick.
That area, which was some kilometers from the coast, had a 4 m deep peat layer.
Beyond the flood forests (vloedbosschen) where the peat layer was thin, some
decimeters of peatland mixed with mineral soil and humus—a favorite natural
fertilizer for agriculture. People named the layer “kilang manis,” which they used
for the planting of sagu (Cycas revoluta, sago palm), coconuts, and pinang (Areca
catechu betel palm) garden, or dry rice of ladang (shifting cultivation). In the deeper
layer of peatlands, only Hevea rubber trees and pineapple shrubs were planted
successfully. The land controlled by local people in the peatlands was sometimes
some kilometers from the coast, among the peat swamp forests (Sewandono 1937,
p. 663).
Studies on Bengkalis Island by Reep (1907) mentioned that there were categories
of land that seemed related to peatland, such as tanah rawa (wet land) or paja
(moerasgrond or muddy land), pematang (raised land in a wetland), Rimba besar
(natural forest), beloekar toea (shrub with trees higher than 10 m), beloekar moeda
(shrub with trees around 6 m), sesapan (land with trees around 2 m), pantjahan
(abandoned land), and empty land (onbouwde grond in ‘s algemeen or uncultivated
land in general: tanah kosong). He said that before the island came under the direct
control of the Dutch colonial government in 1873, the king or sultan owned all the
23 Land Tenure on Peatland: A Source of Insecurity and Degradation in Riau, Sumatra
631
environment. But around 1910 some people began to express worries over the
sustainability of the businesses, especially in light of the rapid depletion of resources,
particularly the massive and ever-increasing amount of timber logging. In 1916, the
report of Van Braam said that the natural capacity of trees to grow was enough to
sustain the resources. However, according to the report of the forest manager
(Houtvester) Lundqvist in 1934, forest depletion in Kateman, Riau, was apparent;
thus, logging should be suspended. The forest in Indragiri had also experienced
excessive exploitation from logging, firewood collecting, and charcoal making for
over 40 years, thus dramatically shrinking resources. The report of forest manager
De Haan said in 1934 that although no excessive exploitation was found, a precise
territorial survey on the resources should be conducted, citing the importance of the
forest in this area to the world timber market (Sewandono 1937, pp. 660–662).
We have come to understand the expansion of panglong businesses in Riau,
Bengkalis, and Lingga, especially in the peat swamp forests. In the nineteenth
century, panglong business people received concessions from the sultanate states
or the sultanate autonomous government. In the twentieth century, the Dutch
colonial government or the regional government issued concessions to panglong
businesspeople, giving rise to several problems such as labor abuse and environmental degradation. However, there were not any reports on peatland fire or serious
peatland degradation yet.
23.2.2 People’s Use of Peatland During the Colonial Era
According to Sewandono, the peat layer in the wetlands extended inland was thick.
That area, which was some kilometers from the coast, had a 4 m deep peat layer.
Beyond the flood forests (vloedbosschen) where the peat layer was thin, some
decimeters of peatland mixed with mineral soil and humus—a favorite natural
fertilizer for agriculture. People named the layer “kilang manis,” which they used
for the planting of sagu (Cycas revoluta, sago palm), coconuts, and pinang (Areca
catechu betel palm) garden, or dry rice of ladang (shifting cultivation). In the deeper
layer of peatlands, only Hevea rubber trees and pineapple shrubs were planted
successfully. The land controlled by local people in the peatlands was sometimes
some kilometers from the coast, among the peat swamp forests (Sewandono 1937,
p. 663).
Studies on Bengkalis Island by Reep (1907) mentioned that there were categories
of land that seemed related to peatland, such as tanah rawa (wet land) or paja
(moerasgrond or muddy land), pematang (raised land in a wetland), Rimba besar
(natural forest), beloekar toea (shrub with trees higher than 10 m), beloekar moeda
(shrub with trees around 6 m), sesapan (land with trees around 2 m), pantjahan
(abandoned land), and empty land (onbouwde grond in ‘s algemeen or uncultivated
land in general: tanah kosong). He said that before the island came under the direct
control of the Dutch colonial government in 1873, the king or sultan owned all the
23 Land Tenure on Peatland: A Source of Insecurity and Degradation in Riau, Sumatra
631