Indonesia shares data-driven peatland management experience at Peru forum

Indonesia is sharing its expertise in data-driven peatland ecosystem management at the Global Peatlands Initiative (GPI) technical meeting in Lima, Peru. The nation highlighted its comprehensive approach, which includes hydrological management, carbon monitoring, and greenhouse gas emission control.

Agus Justianto, Head of the Interim Secretariat for Forestry at ITPC, stated that peatland management is integral to low-carbon development and supports the achievement of Indonesia's Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) targets. He explained that managing peatlands goes beyond protecting wetlands; it involves reducing emissions, maintaining hydrological functions, safeguarding biodiversity, and ensuring sustainable utilization.

Indonesia's strategy involves protecting healthy peatlands, managing them sustainably, preventing degradation and drying, restoring hydrological functions, and rehabilitating ecosystems. The country's experience shows that systematic and integrated management, from the site level to the Peat Hydrological Unit (KHG) scale, is essential for optimal control of water balance, ecosystem functions, and carbon emissions. The ultimate goal is to achieve optimal greenhouse gas balance by maintaining groundwater levels, preventing excessive drainage, avoiding fire, and selecting appropriate commodities for peatland characteristics.

Furthermore, Indonesia is strengthening peatland restoration research and innovation through collaborations with universities and research institutions. This includes developing peatland monitoring systems, water management techniques, paludiculture, carbon accounting, information systems, and field demonstration sites. The nation views its peatlands as vital ecological assets, serving as habitats for key fauna, conservation areas, social management spaces, and climate resilience buffers. Therefore, restoration and protection are seen as interconnected ecological, social, and economic agendas. Bambang Supriyanto, Deputy Head of the Interim Secretariat for Forestry at ITPC, also presented Indonesia's experience in developing peatland hydrological mapping systems based on peat dome depth to identify priority areas for restoration and management.