Asia Pacific Centre for Ecohydrology (APCE) - LIPI held an Internal Seminar on
Sustainable Peatland management based on Ecohydrology Approach on April 20, 2018
at the APCE Building attended by APCE Staff and Board of Director’s. This event
was a follow-up of the implementation of the concept of ecohydrology in the planning
of peat restoration which is the initiation of cooperation between APCE and Peat
Restoration Agency (Badan Restorasi Gambut). At the opening, Executive Director of APCE, Dr. Ignasius DA. Sutapa, M.Sc said this activity is the preparation
and finalization of APCE cooperation with BRG related to sustainable peatland
management restoration. Dr. Ignasius hopes the concept of ecohydrology can be
one of the solutions to problems in the peatland areas. Dian Afriyanti, M.Sc Deputy
Staff of Research and Development BRG conveys on Sustainable Peatland Based Management
of Hydrological Peat Unit.
She also mentioned that peat restoration in a region should consider its Hydrological
Peat Unit along with other factors. The restoration strategies proposed by BRG
are Rewetting, Revegetation and Revitalization. This strategy should be implemented
simultaneously in order to achieve effective goals. Peat restoration is quite
complex because of anthropogenic conflicts related to the economic community.
The main problem is the existence of agricultural activities on peat land where
the population grows dry land commodities on peat so that peatlands should be
drained. This flammable peatland increases the risk of forest fires. The challenge
faced is how to change the people's mindset to convert the commodity into an adaptive
commodity with wetland (coffee, areca nut, jelutung, gaharu). In addition, the
rewaging method (e.g canal plumbing) for a Hydrological Peat Unit will vary due
to different land characteristics and topography.