The effects of ditch dams on water‐level dynamics in tropical peatlands

A significant proportion of tropical peatlands has been drained for agricultural purposes, resulting in severe degradation. Hydrological restoration, which usually involves blocking ditches, is therefore a priority. Nevertheless, the influence of ditch blocking on tropical peatland hydrological functioning is still poorly understood. We studied water-level dynamics using a combination of automated and manual dipwells, and also meteorological data during dry and wet seasons over 6 months at three locations in Sebangau National Park, Kalimantan, Indonesia. The locations were a forested peatland (Forested), a drained peatland with ditch dams (Blocked), and a drained peatland without ditch dams (Drained). In the dry season, water tables at all sites were deeper than the Indonesian regulatory requirement of 40 cm from the peat surface. In the dry season, the ditches were dry and water did not flow to them. The dry season water-table drawdown rates — solely due to evapotranspiration — were 9.3 mm day−1 at Forested, 9.6 mm day−1 at Blocked, but 12.7 mm day−1 at Drained. In the wet season, the proportion of time during which water tables in the wells were deeper than the 40 cm limit ranged between 16% and 87% at Forested, 0% at Blocked, and between 0% and 38% at Drained. In the wet season, water flowed from the peatland to ditches at Blocked and Drained. The interquartile range of hydraulic gradients between the lowest ditch outlet and the farthest well from ditches at Blocked was 3.7 × 10−4 to 7.8 × 10−4 m m−1, but 1.9 × 10−3 to 2.6 × 10−3 m m−1 at Drained. Given the results from Forested, a water-table depth limit policy based on field data may be required, to reflect natural seasonal dynamics in tropical peatlands. Revised spatial designs of dams or bunds are also required, to ensure effective water-table management as part of tropical peatland restoration

Analysis of challenges, costs, and governance alternative for peatland restoration in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia

Restoration of degraded tropical peatland is considered to be one of the most cost-efficient measures in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and conserving biodiversity. Although benefits of restoration are often expected to substantially exceed the costs, most restoration projects are being carried out without clear cost analyses. This study provides empirical assessments of challenges and costs of the four peatland restoration projects managed by different proponents in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia based on key informant interviews, a follow-up survey and document analyses. We also reviewed existing policy contexts that can address some of the challenges to propose a governance alternative to sustain peatland restoration efforts. We found that many ecological challenges of peatland restoration projects were created by drainage canals leaving the peat to be dry and fire prone. Peatland degradation has been exacerbated by human activities and human-caused fires, and restoration efforts have faced many challenges due to lack of secure funding and complexity of governing the project implementation. The key informants we interviewed easily recognized direct costs for implementing restoration activities, but often left out indirect costs of addressing social challenges, such as expenses to engage local communities, in their assessments of the costs. Although our accounting is far from exhaustive, we found that indirect costs can add up to half of the total cost of peatland restoration projects. Current funding mechanisms for these projects mostly rely on international donors and private sectors, which make the long-term sustainability of the projects questionable. We argue that hybrid governance for a green business model, such as restoration and ecosystem services enterprises, with active participation from the public sector should be mainstreamed. The accounting framework developed in this study can be applied in other projects and should be further revised to systematically assess cost-effectiveness of restoration interventions

Public and Private Sector to Zero Deforestation Commitmen in South Sumatra

To address deforestation, South Sumatra Goverment was committed to be the frontrunner in attaining Green Growth 2017. All economic activities related to land use must comply with the regulations. The private sector supports them with some initiatives by several certifications as their commitment toward zero deforestation (ZDC). However, from the land cover data, South Sumatra Province is one of the highest forest cover loss in Indonesia followed by increasing economic activities. This study aims to explain commitments of the public and private sectors in complying toward zero deforestation. We conducted interviews with relevant agencies and collect the data regarding interventions and initiatives. This study used compliance theory to analyze the commitments of both sectors. The results showed that the public and private sectors in South Sumatra have shown their commitment with the type of treaty-induced compliance. The compliance showed how the commitment is integrated into policies, aligned public and private governance arrangements, and a good environmental quality change by reduced deforestation rate. This showed that one of the ZDC’s objectives is at least halve the rate of loss of natural forests globally by 2020 has been implemented by both. Thus, they strive to end natural forest loss by 2030

Fixing flammable Forest: The scalar politics of peatland governance and restoration in Indonesia

10.1111/apv.12267Asia Pacific Viewpoin