Recently, our Peatland Programme team in collaboration with Lembaga Pengkajian, Pendidikan dan Pelatihan Lingkungan Hidup (LP3LH) conducted a technical workshop entitled: ‘Technical Workshop on Best Management Practices of Sustainable Peatland Management’, on 15th – 18th June 2011 in Palangka Raya, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia.

This technical workshop on Best Management Practices (BMP) for Sustainable Peatland Management (SPM) is one of the key activities of the ASEAN PEATLAND FORESTS PROJECT(APFP) and the SEApeatProject to build capacity for sustainable peatland management in Southeast Asia by promoting and showcasing best management practices at the regional level. The projects emphasises capacity building for peatland management in the region. The focus is to develop a core group of peatland experts from the countries to take the lead on national and regional issues of concern; and to support each other in implementing best management practices to promote sustainable peatland management. Through improved capacity and understanding, cooperation between the various sectoral agencies involved in peatland management will also be enhanced.

Participants to this session comprised senior technical personnel involved with managing peatlands in their respective countries, and who would be able to carry out and implement BMP principles for SPM in their home countries upon their return. Selected participants from the Southeast Asian region supported by the APFP (i.e. Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Viet Nam) and by the SEApeat Project (Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Thailand) to attend this technical workshop.

The workshop was implemented by combining theoretical background, field visits and sharing of experiences among participants. In terms of theoretical background, three local peatland experts and practitioners from the University of Palangka Raya, Central Kalimantan shared their knowledge and practical experiences on managing peatlands wisely and sustainably with all technical workshop participants. These three local experts are well recognised not only in terms of their extensive peatland knowledge but also their practical on the ground work regarding peatland water management, rehabilitation and livelihood development. To look closer to the real peatland management issues on the ground, all participants were taken to two major sites managed under the Centre for International Cooperation in Sustainable Management of Tropical Peatlands (CIMTROP) of Palangka Raya University, namely, the Sabangau Peatswamp Natural Laboratory and the Kalampangan Zone, Block C of the ex-Mega Rice Project. On the final day, each country presented and shared their case study concerning best management practices and all workshop participants were allowed to provide their inputs and suggestions for case studies presented.

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