What is the Potential Menu?

The Potential menu is a feature of Peat Map that displays data and information on various types of potential in peatlands. The information includes stories related to the distribution of peat-friendly commodities that can be cultivated by the community to improve their welfare while preserving the peatland.

Indonesia's peatland potential

Based on the Ministry of Agriculture’s research, peatlands have great potential for providing land for food crop cultivation. Peat soil refers to a type of soil that is categorized under the histosol order, i.e. soil that is rich in organic material and saturated with water. The potential for shallow/thin peatlands in Indonesia is estimated to be approximately 5,241,473 hectares or 35.17% of the total area of ​​Indonesian peatlands. This peatlands are spread over Papua (2,425,523 ha), Sumatra (1,767,303 ha), and Kalimantan (1,048,611 ha).

Potential and Management of Shallow Peat for Food Crops

Peatland that is suitable to be used for food estates is peat with a thickness of <100 cm (<1 meter) according to the directives of the Indonesian Center for Agricultural Land Resources Research and Development (BBSDLP). Shallow or thin peat has relatively higher fertility and less environmental risk compared to deep peat. The cultivation of food crops on peatlands must implement water management technology, which is adapted to the characteristics of the peat and the type of crop.

Potential and Management of Shallow Peat for Food Crops

Peat soil is also acidic. Therefore, it require amelioration before being utilized as cultivation areas. This process aims to increase the pH of the peat and improve the root media. In addition, pyrite or toxic organic material found on peat can be removed by amelioration using an ameliorant (material for the amelioration process) such as steel slag, lateritic mineral soil, or river sludge. 

Unsustainable Agricultural Practices on Peat

Limited access and ability to obtain fertilizer or ameliorant has forced smallholders in West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, South Sumatra, and Jambi to burn leaves and some dry peat layers before cultivation. This method is done to obtain ash from the leaves to increase fertility (slash-and-burn).

Unsustainable Agricultural Practices on Peat

Unfortunately, this is a very dangerous method because it can trigger extensive forest and land fires, accelerate subsidence, increase CO2 emissions, and potentially produce smoke that is harmful to our health. In the long term, the practice of burning leaves and peatlands should be avoided and should be prevented to maintain sustainable agriculture on peatlands. There needs to be an understanding that agriculture activities on peat can be done without burning the land.

Farming on Peatlands

The following terms and conditions must be observed in carrying out agricultural activities on peat (Eli N. Sari, WRI Indonesia):

Do not convert peat forest to agricultural lands, peat forest refers to a peatland area that functions as a protected forest. Agricultural activities on peatland can only be carried out on cultivated land of shallow peat (<1 meter) and previously used/abandoned land.

Farming on Peatlands

Second, crop cultivation practices must comply with peat-friendly principles, namely do not damage the ecology of peat by avoiding water drainage, do not burn the peatland, and do not pollute the environment.

Community engagement in peat areas, requires transfer of knowledge, technology and mentoring.

Paludiculture

Paludiculture comes from the Latin word "Palus" which means swamp. According to a publication by WRI Indonesia, paludiculture is the cultivation of plants native to peat swamp on wet or wetted peatlands without drainage. This practice does not only provide economic benefits, but also produces biomass (the biological materials in plants) that will support peat formation in the long run. 

Paludiculture

Paludiculture is considered to be a suitable activity to be developed on peatlands. Some examples of paludiculture species are sago and purun, both are native peatland commodities that are widely cultivated by local communities for various purposes significantly contribute to their livelihoods. The characteristics of native peatland commodities are plants that are inundated and do not undergo drainage.

Paludiculture Commodities

Below are some examples of paludiculture commodities:

“Fast Yield” Commodities, i.e. species that provide fast yields (but have lower unit values, although may have a  good market). Examples: purun (Eleocharis dulcis), water spinach, bitter gourd, gambier, ferns). Proven commercial commodities, i.e. species that already have a product of known commercial value and are able to grow well on wet or wetted peatlands. Examples: gaharu, eucalyptus or gelam, sago, jelutong, gemor).

Paludiculture Commodities

Commercial commodities that still require yield testing, i.e. species that have a product with known commercial value and are found in natural peat swamp forest but with an unknown yield for peat, hence requiring further research. Examples: mangosteen, rambutan, guava, tengkawang or illipe nuts, candlenut, matoa, salam, and ketapang. Other commodities that have potential, but require additional ecological studies and market studies, a total of 58 species need further research. Some examples of these commodities are tamarind, jelutong, sega rattan.

Types of peat-friendly commodities

Peat-friendly commodities of various types and species. In addition to having economic value, peat-friendly commodities, such as paludiculture are also useful for the conservation of peatland in the surrounding ecosystem. This is because paludiculture plants can grow on peatland naturally or without any practices that could threaten the peat, such as the practice of building drainage or burning land and forests.

Business Potential of Peat-friendly Commodity

In addition to preserving the peatlands in the surrounding area, the surrounding communities of the peatlands are also trying to garner the potential of native peatland commodities. However, peatland native commodities need to be processed to create more benefits, therefore becoming more valuable thus serving as a potential business opportunity. Apart from the relatively limited market access to peat-friendly commodities, the community’s capacity needs to be increased, so its commodities can compete and have a stable market.

Potential of Purun in Pedamaran, Ogan Komering Ilir (OKI), South Sumatra

OKI District has 640,135.05 hectares of peatland area, one of the in South Sumatra. Unfortunately, data from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry in 2019 and the Pantau Gambut Restoration Map show that most of the peatlands in OKI District have been converted to industrial plantation forests (HTI).

Potential of Purun in Pedamaran, Ogan Komering Ilir (OKI), South Sumatra

The Pedamaran community has cultivated Purun for a long time and it has become part of the local culture. Data from the Journal of Forestry Policy Analysis in 2017 shows that there are approximately 5,400 hectares of purun habitat in OKI. Based on information obtained from Mongabay, almost 90% of women in Pedamaran can weave mats.

The Potential of Swamp Buffaloes in Hulu Sungai Utara District, South Kalimantan

Based on the peatland map of the Ministry of Agriculture (2012), the Peatland Restoration Agency (BRG) found 26,367.95 hectares of long-term peatland restoration area in HSU. The findings also include dry and non-dry peat areas on protected and cultivated peatlands, as well as burned areas with 3,610.92 hectares of priority areas (burned and drained). More than half of the HSU area is part of the peat hydrological unit and land use varies based on water depth.

The Potential of Swamp Buffaloes in Hulu Sungai Utara District, South Kalimantan

Based on the data collection in 2019, approximately 8,000 swamp buffalos lives in the north of Hulu Sungai. On the other hand, data from Indonesian Bureau of Statistics in 2020 shows an increase, i.e. 9,042 buffalos. The high population of swamp buffalo is influenced by people who make swamp buffalo livestock activities as an alternative source of income other than agriculture, fisheries, and crafts. Most of the swamp buffalo farmers take advantage of the festive holiday to sell their livestock at competitive prices.

Potential of Purun Weaving, Hulu Sungai Utara District, South Kalimantan

The development of business commodities at HSU provides additional opportunities for the development of local peat commodities. One of the business actors for purun handicrafts is the Kembang Ilung business managed by Sopianor in Banyu Hirang Village. Kembang Ilung can produce 500 Purun handicraft products every month. However, local community capacity building is still needed to scale up the business.

Potential of Pineapple Leaf, Siak District, Riau

Siak District in Riau has an area of ​​approximately 856,176 hectares, and based on data from Indonesian Bureau of Statistics (BPS) Siak district covers an area of 858,092 hectares. Peatlands are a dominant ecosystem in Siak District. Based on data from the Ministry of Agriculture (2012), more than half (57.3%) of Siak District consists of peatland (490,671 hectares).

Potential of Pineapple Leaf, Siak District, Riau

Sungai Apit Sub-District is one of the largest pineapple producers in Siak District and Riau Province. The area for planting and harvesting pineapple plantations in Sungai Apit Sub-District was 1,312.50 hectares and 1,125.50 hectares, respectively. Production reached 29,263 tons/ha. The pineapple leaf utilization also has a value chain that can be integrated into large industries, such as the textile and handicraft industries.

Paludiculture and Tourism Potential in Bintuni Bay, Papua

Peatlands in Bintuni Bay District covers an area of 434,997.69 ha spread over Aranday Sub-District, Bintuni Sub-District, Kaitaro Sub-District, and Babo Sub-District. Analysis of the potential development of local commodities in the Bintuni Bay District through the tourism sector is carried out based on one of the development directives for Bintuni Bay District as stated in the Bintuni District Spatial Plan for 2012-2032.

Paludiculture and Tourism Potential in Bintuni Bay, Papua

The focus of tourism development in Bintuni Bay is also designed based on natural and cultural-based attractions. Bintuni Bay has two nature reserves; Bintuni Bay Nature Reserve and Wagura Kote Nature Reserve, mangrove areas, sand beaches, Lake Tanimot-Weriagar, and other natural attractions. Appointing Bintuni Bay as a “Tourism Bridge” (explained further in the Preliminary Analysis of the Tourism Ecosystem) will encourage more structured management of local commodities, especially fisheries and mangroves, from upstream to downstream.

Fisheries Potential in Bintuni Bay, Papua

The mangrove forests of Bintuni Bay District cover an area of ​​255,971 ha or approximately 53.4% ​​of the total area of ​​mangrove forests in West Papua District offers a lot of diverse commodities that can be identified and managed for the livelihood of the surrounding community, this covers the fisheries/marine, agriculture, and ecotourism sector.

Fisheries Potential in Bintuni Bay, Papua

Based on the preliminary data collection, several fishery commodities in the Bintuni Bay mangrove forest that have been identified include Deep-sea red crabs (Geryonidae), Penaeid Shrimps (Penaeidae), snapper (Sciaenidae), and mangrove vegetation.