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

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

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

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

Fire & Haze from Sumatra and Kalimantan-El Niño 1997-98 Area burned: >8 M ha Carbon Emissions: 0.81-2.57 Pg C 11 September 1997 Page et al. 2002

Carbon Released from 1997-98 Indonesian Fires Emissions 0.81-2.57 Pg C Equivalent to: 13-40% annual FF emissions Comparable to: Net terrestrial Sink (1-3 Pg C yr-1) Page et al. 2002

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

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

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)

Why this disproportionate (to the area) impact? 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 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

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)

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Vulnerabilities of Peatlands-Carbon-Climate System SE Asia Tropical Peatland Synthesis: Carbon stocks Drivers of change Biogeochemical modeling Input into GCMs APN project (2005-06) Tropical forests and climate change adaptation: criteria and indicators for adaptive management for reduced vulnerability and long-term sustainability EU project (2005-2008) Regional Climate (Dickinson) and Land Use Change (?) Scenarios Tropical Peatlands

www.GlobalCarbonProject.org