REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, PARIS -- The initiative launched by the government to restore peatland ecosystems to mitigate climate change should be based on ecological and economic considerations, stated a researcher from the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) Professor M. Purwanto.
"The ecological- and economical-based restoration of peatland areas means to determine the status of protected ecosystems and to manage their use, which should focus on environmental factors," he noted here on Wednesday.
He explained that the determination of the ecological status of peatland areas is very important as they have important strategic functions, such as springs.
The biosphere reserve area of Siam Siak Kecil-Bukit Batu in Riau province covers an area of 700 thousand hectares, of which 178 thousand hectares has been designated as a protected area and a source of water for the surrounding areas.
"The protected areas can still be used for research, education, and utilization of environmental services," Purwanto remarked.
Read: Govt set to form peat ecosystem restoration body
He expressed optimism that the Peat Ecosystem Restoration Agency to be formed by the government will chalk out a clear program to restore the peat ecosystems that are in a critical state due to land and forest fires.
The first step is mapping to determine the status of the protected ecosystems and to identify the ecosystems that can be managed to support the agricultural sector.
According to Purwanto, the local communities have been carrying out economic activities in peatland areas for generations. In addition, the indigenous communities have local knowledge in managing the land, so that the environment is not harmed.
The management of peatland ecosystems is one of the government's strategies for the forest and land management sector to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 29 percent by 2030 and by 41 percent through international support.
President Joko Widodo during the Leaders' Event Meeting at the 21st Summit on Climate in Paris affirmed that the government will set up a Peat Ecosystem Restoration Agency that will apply a moratium on the exploitation of peatland areas and revise permission on the use of peatlands.
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