BACKGROUND OF WORKSHOP

The tropical peatland areas in Southeast Asia is estimated to be about 25-30 million ha, which is 60% of the world's tropical peatlands and roughly one tenth of the entire extent of global peatland resources. The majority of the peatlands of Southeast Asia occurs in Indonesia, which is over 70% of total peatland areas in Southeast Asia. Other major peatland areas are found in Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Brunei and the Philippines.

Southeast Asia peatswamp forests vegetation have been recognized as an important reservoir of plant diversity (Silvius et al ., 1984; Whitmore, 1984). For instance in Indonesia, more than 300 tree species have been recorded in swamp forests of Sumatra, some of which are becoming increasingly rare (Giesen, 1991), while in Thailand, some 470 species were identified in the Narathiwat peatswamp forest (Urapeepatanapong, 1996). Many of the plants are restricted or endemic to this habitat.

The peatswamp forests in Southeast Asia also provide many commercial timber species including Ramin ( Gonystylus bancanus ), Jelutung ( Dyera costulata ), Meranti ( Shorea spp. ). These forests are home to many rare and endangered wildlife species such as Malaysian Blue Flycatcher ( Cyornis turcosa ), Sumatran Tiger ( Panthera tigris sumatranus ), Tapir ( Tapirus indicus ), Asian Elephant ( Elephas maximus sumatrensis ), Lesser One-horned Rhino ( Rhinoceros sondaicus ), Orangutan ( Pongo pygmaeus ) and hundreds of bird species, including Hornbills and Cassowaries. Black-water rivers (peatland rivers) are important habitat for fish that often have higher degree of endemism than other type of rivers, and are important source of aquarium fishes.

Southeast Asia's peatlands are significant carbon stores and sinks. If disturbed by drainage and burning, the carbon is released to the atmosphere contributing to the global greenhouse effect. If maintained in their natural state, CO 2 is incorporated as organic carbon into dying biomass and stored in the peat moderating greenhouse gas emissions. Forest fires during 1997 and 1998 are estimated to have released more than 750 million tones of CO 2 (over 50% was as a result of combustion of peat).

Southeast Asia peatswamp forest play important functional roles in regulation of hydrology. Such functions as flood control, flow regulation, water supply and prevention of saline water intrusion are crucial to maintain integrity of the surrounding ecosystem. For instance the upper reaches of the Air Hitam Laut (peatswamp) River of which at the middle and at the lower sections dissected Berbak National Park, Jambi (Indonesia), play an important hydrological role in regulating the quantity and quality of waters in the park. Disturbances at the upper reaches of this river, e.g. due to forest conversion that has created land and forest fires, may affect the park's ecosystem.

Many activities carried out on peatland areas, such as forestry (including logging) and agriculture, have been identified to jeopardize the peatlands ecosystem. Canals that have been constructed to transport logs as well as to drain water from peatswamp area for agriculture purposes have been causing peat dryness and this dry peat are susceptible to fire during dry season. Fires are not only burning the peat but it will adversely affect biodiversity and other functions and benefits provided by peat ecosystem.

By knowing the roles/functions and benefits that can be provided by peatswamp forest at the local, national and global level, it is therefore the management of peatswamp forest must be carried out wisely and in the sustainable manners. Management aspects on peatlands that need to be handled appropriately, including: (a) activities on agriculture and forestry; (b) land and forest fires; (c) rehabilitation on abandoned/neglected and on ex-burnt peatlands area; and (d) water management in peatlands areas (e.g. through canal blocking).

In order to obtain inputs related to both the failures and success stories in managing peatlands areas in Southeast Asian countries, the CCFPI (Climate Change, Forests and Peatlands in Indonesia) project funded by the Canadian Climate Change Development Fund will be organizing a workshop on Wise Use and Sustainable Peatlands Management Practices. The Workshop attempts to bring together local experts and managers to discuss common experience in restoring and implementing sustainable activities on local peatlands. International presentation from ASEAN member countries will be welcomed. Through this workshop, a mechanism to look into approaches of managing or implementing environmentally sounds activities and on restoring peatlands will be conducted by bringing together all parties in this area to work in a more comprehensive manner.

WORKSHOP OBJECTIVES

The objectives of the workshop are:

1. To provide a platform for experts and peatlands managers to share experiences and knowledge on peatlands management and restoration;
2. To provide exposure to local participants on successful peatlands management practices and restoration exercises and share experiences on technical approaches.

THEMES OF THE WORKSHOP

This two-day workshop discussed common experiences in restoring and implementing best management practices (sustainable activities) on peatlands areas and is open to all individuals and organisations that are interested and involved in the broad sense of peatland management. These are the major areas and related topics that were discussed :

1. Agriculture and forestry management in peatlands areas;
2. Land and forest fires in peatlands;
3. Rehabilitation on abandoned/neglected and on ex-burnt peatlands area; and
4. Water management in peatlands areas.

DATES AND VENUE

The Workshop is held on 13 and 14 October 2003 at the Hotel Pangrango II, Bogor West Java. Bogor is one among the four districts that encircled the Indonesia's capital city of Jakarta. The Bogor district is very popular worldwide as for its gigantic botanical garden and its Presiden Palace. The district located 60 km south of Jakarta or 85 km south west of the Soekarno-Hatta airport.

WORKSHOP ORGANIZATION

The workshop is organized by the CCFPI (Climate Change, Forests and Peatlands in Indonesia) project. CCFPI is a carbon sequestration initiative funded through the CIDA's Canadian Climate Change Development Fund and implemented in Indonesia by Wetlands International - Indonesia Programme and Wildlife Habitat Canada (WHC) in collaboration with Global Environmental Center, Malaysia. The project is designed to promote the sustainable management of forests and peatlands in Indonesia in order to increase their capacity to sequester and store carbon, and to improve local livelihoods.