1. Tropical Peatlands: Global Impacts, Regional Vulnerability and Local Adaptation
Pep Canadell1, Daniel Murdiyarso2, Faizal Parish3
1_GCP International Project Office, CSIRO, Canberra, Australia
2_CIFOR-CGIAR, Bogor, Indonesia
3_Global Environment Centre, Selangor, Malaysia

2. Global Peatland Distribution
450 Pg C
42 Million ha (10%)
(GACGC, 2000)
Page et al. 2004

3. 60% Global Peatland Distribution 450 Pg C Borneo Sumatra West Papua
Thailand
(GACGC, 2000)

4. Tropical Peatlands in Indonesia
20 M ha are in Indonesia
Stocks of up to 50 Pg C
Formed over a period of 10,000 year (10K-35K)
Depth ranges 1-12 m (max. 20 m)
Store 5,800 t C/ha (> 10 x tropical forests)
Page et al. 2002; Others

5. Fire & Haze from Sumatra and Kalimantan-El Niño 1997-98
Area burned:
>8 M ha
Carbon Emissions:
Pg C
11 September 1997
Page et al. 2002

6. Carbon Released from 1997-98 Indonesian Fires
Emissions
Pg C
Equivalent to:
13-40% annual FF
emissions
Comparable to:
Net terrestrial Sink
(1-3 Pg C yr-1)
Page et al. 2002

7. Spatial Distribution of the CO2 Growth Perturbations
Flux Anomalies El Nino (June 1997-May 1998 [gC/m2/yr])
Flux Anomalies La Nina (Oct 1998-Sept 1999 [gC/m2/yr])
Rodenbeck et al. 2003

8. Attribution of the CO2 Growth Perturbation
δ13CO2 tells how much of the increased fire emissions are due to emissions from forested regions (mostly C3 plants) versus tropical-subtrp. savannas dominated by C4
The ratios of CO2 to H, CH4, CO (fire) for the globe:
0.8 – 3.7 Pg C
δ13C in C3 plants more negative than C4
Langenfelds et al. 2002, Randerson et al. 2005

9. Large Global Impacts from Small Regions
Atmospheric CO2
Growth Rate
Indonesia: 8 M ha
(Ruitenbeek 1999)
High C density of the peatland which dominates many swamps lowland forests
South America: >10 M ha
(Barbosa & Fearnside1999)

10. Why this disproportionate (to the area) impact?
SOI
In the previous talks we’ve heard about a variety of impacts on of transboundary haze pollution on health, tourism, timber, etc.
My talk will focus on how fires are linked to global processes, and particularly, on how fires alter the global carbon cycle and subsequently affects the climate system of the entire Earth, and for this matter the one of South East Asia.
El Niño events

11. Why this disproportionate (to the area) impact?
This type of events also occurred in tropical Amazonia and Australia but not as serious as in Indonesia
Why so intense in Indonesia?
1. Because what burned was one of the highest carbon-density region in the world, ie, peatland which dominates many swamps lowland forests
Store 5,800 t C/ha (> 10 x tropical forests)

12. Interaction with Use of Fire
Pests and weeds control
The economic value of the biomass ‘waste’ is so low
Smallholders’ wood pricing discourages producers
Fire is the cheapest method for land clearing
Fire can add ash that temporarily improve soil conditions
Courtesy of Daniel Murdiyarso

13. Interactions with two other Human-Driven Changes
2. Collapse of Suharto government (1998) and associated socio-economic problems
Rapid escalation of illegal logging activities
Needs of agricultural land expansion
Growing oil-palm and pulpwood industries
Unclear tenure systems
3. Loss of self-sufficiency in rice production in Indonesia
Mega Rice Project (1995)
Over-drainage
Biomass burning
People immigrations and
human settlements
++Fire
++Fire

14. The Mega Rice Project – Central Kalimantan
In 1995, 1 Million ha of Central Kalimantan (Borneo) were cut down to be replaced by rice paddies to serve as the rice bowl of an ever growing Indonesian population.
4,600 km of canals to drain the region.
Tens of thousands of landless Javanese were brought in to tend the Mega Rice Project.
Aldhous 2004

15. The Mega Rice Project – Central Kalimantan
The drainage made the soil too dry and the peat turned to be too acid for rice to grow.
The project was abandoned and many immigrants fled Borneo, leaving a legacy of fire that returns each year during the dry season, from July to late October.
Even without fire, drained peatlands are a source of CO2 for many years.

16. Indonesia Amazonia Fire Rotation % Forest Distance from road (m)
Cochrane 2003

17. 1990 2002 Decreasing Peatland Area (Mha) Southeast Asia 35-40 25-30
Sumatra
7.2
6.5
Kalimantan
8.4 ?
Indonesia 20 17
Courtesy of Daniel Murdiyarso

18. Negative Impacts to Local and Regional Development
The massive increase global GHG emissions could have been an unperceived and to some extent irrelevant event to the region, except for the fact that fires and haze did bring many negative impacts home:
The haze extended across Southeast Asia, and cost more than US$4.5 billion in lost tourism and business
Smoke caused hundreds of deaths in smoke related accidents, including ship, automobile and plane crashes
Thousands more died from smoke-related illnesses
Unrest with Native communities due to establishment of megaprojects and subsequent failure.
Lost of freshwater resources, largely fishing, important to local communities.
Transmigration reversed and people fled back to Java
IF OUR GLOBAL c CYCLE IS THE SYSTEM WE ARE INTERESTED FOR A VULNERABILITY ANALYSES, WE HAVE AN INTERNAL VULNERABLE SUBSYSTEM WHICH MAY CAN REACT AND ADAPT TO RESOLVE ITS IMPROBLEM.

19. Vulnerabilities of Peatlands-Carbon-Climate System
Perturbation
of the Climate System
(warming)
(+)
Vulnerable
C Pools C
Emissions

20. Vulnerabilities of Peatlands-Carbon-Climate System
Perturbation
of the Climate System
(warming) X
Land Use
(+)
Vulnerable
C Pools C
Emissions

21. Vulnerabilities of Peatlands-Carbon-Climate System
Perturbation
of the Climate System
(warming) X
Land Use
Haze
Drought
Freshwater Res.
Forest Resources
(+)
Vulnerable
C Pools C
Emissions

22. Vulnerabilities of Peatlands-Carbon-Climate System
Perturbation
of the Climate System
(warming)
(-)
Haze
Drought
Freshwater Res.
Forest Resources
Negative
Impacts
to Local &
Regional
Communities X
Land Use
(+)
Vulnerable
C Pools C
Emissions

23. Building Resilience
Mitigation (restoring)
Adaptation (preserving)
Instruments available:
Local and Regional
National and International

24. Local and Regional Scale Instruments and Options
For Protection of the swamp forest
By providing attractive livelihood options to local communities with income generating activities consistent with sustainable management of peatlands:
Traditional forest-based fish ponds and river fishing
Alternative fire-free agriculture
Timber and non-timber forest products
Latex
Rattan
Firewood

25. National and International Policy Instruments
for Rehabilitation and Protection of peatlands
ASEAN Regional Action Plan on Transboundary Haze
Rio-Agenda 21 on Sustainable Development
International Conventions:
Ramsar - wetlands
Conservation and restoration of peatlands
FCCC - climate change
No obligation of Indonesia to reduce GHG emissions under Kyoto
It is a signatory of Kyoto Protocol
Clean Development Mechanisms – carbon trading – reforestation credits
Non-Kyoto mechanisms – credits for emission avoidance (credits for not deforesting)
CBD – biodiveristy
Conservation of ecosystems for conservation of biodiversity
These are all options for reducing local and regional impacts at the same time they are consistent with the goals of the FCCC which further provide opportunities to build stability

26. Vulnerabilities of Peatlands-Carbon-Climate System
SE Asia Tropical Peatland Synthesis:
Carbon stocks
Drivers of change
Biogeochemical modeling
Input into GCMs
APN project ( )
Tropical forests and climate change adaptation: criteria and indicators for adaptive management for reduced vulnerability and long-term sustainability
EU project ( )
Regional Climate (Dickinson) and Land Use Change (?) Scenarios
Tropical Peatlands