Chapter 25
Case Study on Community-Based Water
Management in Tropical Peatland
Osamu Kozan, Michiko Hosobuchi, and Taishin Kameoka
Abstract JICA Partnership Project (JPP) “Restoration of Peatland Ecology and
Livelihood Improvement through Rewetting and Revegetation toward the Prevention of Peat Fires” has been conducted in Tanjung Leban village, Riau province,
Indonesia since 2017. Peatland restoration was attempted by encouraging villagers
to manage water and ecosystem through weir construction and revegetation, respectively. The villagers aim for the coexistence of environmental restoration and
livelihood improvement by planting native species suitable for peatland along with
cash crop cultivation.
Keywords Community-based peatland management · Groundwater monitoring ·
Native species planting · Villagers surviving strategy · Fire prevention
25.1 Introduction
The degradation of tropical peatland in Southeast Asia has become an increasing
concern in the context of global environmental conservation. Due to their physical
characteristics, tropical peatland forests have been difficult to utilize and, therefore,
were exempted from development for a long time. However, drainage associated
with plantation development of fast-growing and oil palm trees has led to a decrease
in groundwater table levels and subsequent drying of peatland forest.
O. Kozan (*)
Research Institute for Humanity and Nature, Kyoto, Japan
Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
e-mail: kozan@cseas.kyoto-u.ac.jp
M. Hosobuchi
Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
T. Kameoka
Graduate School of Asian and African Area Studies, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
M. Osaki et al. (eds.), Tropical Peatland Eco-management,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-4654-3_25
663
Case Study on Community-Based Water
Management in Tropical Peatland
Osamu Kozan, Michiko Hosobuchi, and Taishin Kameoka
Abstract JICA Partnership Project (JPP) “Restoration of Peatland Ecology and
Livelihood Improvement through Rewetting and Revegetation toward the Prevention of Peat Fires” has been conducted in Tanjung Leban village, Riau province,
Indonesia since 2017. Peatland restoration was attempted by encouraging villagers
to manage water and ecosystem through weir construction and revegetation, respectively. The villagers aim for the coexistence of environmental restoration and
livelihood improvement by planting native species suitable for peatland along with
cash crop cultivation.
Keywords Community-based peatland management · Groundwater monitoring ·
Native species planting · Villagers surviving strategy · Fire prevention
25.1 Introduction
The degradation of tropical peatland in Southeast Asia has become an increasing
concern in the context of global environmental conservation. Due to their physical
characteristics, tropical peatland forests have been difficult to utilize and, therefore,
were exempted from development for a long time. However, drainage associated
with plantation development of fast-growing and oil palm trees has led to a decrease
in groundwater table levels and subsequent drying of peatland forest.
O. Kozan (*)
Research Institute for Humanity and Nature, Kyoto, Japan
Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
e-mail: kozan@cseas.kyoto-u.ac.jp
M. Hosobuchi
Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
T. Kameoka
Graduate School of Asian and African Area Studies, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
M. Osaki et al. (eds.), Tropical Peatland Eco-management,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-4654-3_25
663