Indonesia World Model for Peatland Restoration: UNEP

Jakarta, (Antara) - The "United Nations Environment Programme" (UNEP) has said Indonesia is a model for peatland restoration in the word.

UNEP seeing the urgency of protection and restoration of degraded tropical peatlands for the global interest, has initiated the forming of Global Peatland Initiatives (GPI) grouping countries having forest with peatlands such as the Republic of Congo, the Republic of Democratic Congo, Peru and Indonesia.

"Global Peat lands Initiative was launched at the Conference of Climate Change in Morocco (UNFCCC COP22) last year. GPl becomes the foundation enabling Indonesia to become a model for the world in the efforts to restore the condition of peat land  and low land landscape where peat copulas," Senior Executor of the Climate Change and Forest Program  of the UN Environment, Tim Christophersen said  here on Monday.

Tim said Indonesia is the first country in the world which has launched massive restoration of peat land  and having commitment to reducing green house gas emissions to a gigaton.

Therefore, Indonesia is seen as the closest to fulfilling the Paris COP21 Agreement in reducing gas emissions compared with other countries, he said at the second GPI partners' meeting.

Meanwhile, head of the Peat land Restoration Agency (BRG) Nazir Foead  said GPI  could open an big opportunity for BRG to share experience  and learn from other countries about protection  and restoration of peat land ecosystem correctly, effectively  and efficiently.

"There are many tropical countries having peatlands . Through GPI we could cooperate, learn from each other. In peatland management, we are more progressive," Nazir said.

UNEP said the problem of peat land was attributable to  limited  and poor knowledge about the importance of peat ecosystem in protecting global climate. As a result many peat lands being a vulnerable ecosystem  and rich in biological variety have been converted into cultivation concessions  with massive drying.

The policy of conversion of peat lands is certainly a mistake. Therefore, the governments of countries having wide peat lands need to take firm protective measure for peat lands in line with the commitment to preventing climate change  agreed upon  in the Paris Agreement, Tim said .

The United Nations Development Programme had confirmed that progress has been made towards peatland restoration in Indonesia: strategic planning is in place, an action plan is in progress, and indicative maps of degraded peatland have been prepared.

Speaking at the UNDP event last year BRG head  Nazir elaborated on achievements, challenges, and the way forward for his Agency to restore two million hectares of degraded peatland by 2020.

In response to the devastating forest and land fires of 2015, President Joko Widodo established the BRG through Presidential Regulation No. 1/2016 in order to coordinate and accelerate the recovery of peatlands. The health of peat ecosystems, and the biodiversity they support, is central to the President¿s Nawa Cita (nine priorities) development agenda from social, economic, and environmental perspectives.

Mapping burnt and degraded peatland is an important step towards restoration. The event was an opportunity for the Agency to share indicative maps of nearly 13 million hectares of peatland in the provinces of Riau, Jambi, South Sumatra, Papua, and West, East, and Central Kalimantan ¿ where restoration is prioritized.

Approximately 875,000 hectares in the seven provinces are classified as burnt during the 2015 forest and land fires. The non-burnt land is classified as either peat dome with canals, intact peat dome, or shallow peat (non-dome)- that in part dictate the nature of the restoration activities.

Nazir explained that rewetting, revegetation, and revitalization is the triple-bottom line for all peatland restoration activities. Starting in 2017 there will be state budget allocated to the BRG for coordinating and implementing restoration. The Agency is also working to leverage NGOs, companies, civil society, and the development community to support their efforts.

The second meeting of GPI partners was attended by representatives from the Republic of Congo, the Republic of Democratic  Congo  and Peru  as well as representatives of the U.N. and  academicians.

The meeting was aimed at updating related data base on global peat lands  and compilation of experience in sustainable peat land management and peat land restoration strategy.(*)