Towards Collaborative Cluster Management for Fire-Resilient Peatlands in Indonesia

Abstract

Wildfires on peat lands in Indonesia have been a major cause of globalGHG emissions and has had an irreversible impact on the health of millions, in 2020, the goi decided to introduce the so-called fire protection association or so called’s which is seen globally as best practice in terms of integrated fire management governance and in Indonesian named clusters. In 2020., a pilot involving three districts in fire prone landscapes introducing fire protection associations was commenced to understand if FPA could be employed in the Indonesian context could deliver similar results, the results and developed approach lead to a decline in fire incidence in the target districts as opposed to the district in the province. Hence the cluster approach indeed proved by better alignment of private and public fire capacity in addition to improved early warning capacity. The results underline that the necessary processes that are gender sensitive and socially inclusive can be adapted to all jurisdictional levels and enable effective collaboration of relevant government agencies. Cluster maintains the core principles of fire protection associations and integrated fire management, in line with international best practices in disaster risk reduction. Furthermore, Changes allow for improved local livelihoods of communities depending on peat lands, as hydrological restoration and reafforestation enables local communities to again rely on swamps for their livelihoods.

1. Introduction

The 2015 fire crisis in Indonesia was an economic and environmental disaster. With 2.6 million hectares of land burned, it cost the country an estimated US$16.1 billion (IDR 221 trillion), equivalent to 1.9% of GDP. Smoke pollution also contributed to irreversible impacts on the lives of 100,300 people across Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore [1], with more than 500,000 cases of acute respiratory infections. Immediate health costs were estimated at US$151 million [2]. Up to 90% of the smoke pollution came from fires on peatlands, which release 3–6 times more particulate matter than fires on other soil types [2].

Quick and effective rewetting and restoration of peatlands are essential to prevent further degradation through wildfire incidence. In response to the 2015 fires, the Indonesian government introduced the concept of peat hydrological units (Regulation 57/2016). In 2016, the government started working through a south-south exchange with South Africa with the support of UNEP to establish clusters of fire protection associations, normally covering a peat hydrological unit [3].

Best practices are emerging in the global literature on integrated fire management in tropical peatlands (e.g. [4]). These include the establishment of fire protection associations and effective collaboration between land users, high levels of public awareness, a holistic and integrated approach, functioning public-private partnerships, government resources and a regional approach that enables resources to be pooled and better matched to threats.

This article reports on a UNEP project supported by the USAID Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) initiated 2-year program for 2019–2021 in partnership with Kemitraan and Working on Fire/Kishugu¹ from south Africa and Institut Pertanian Bogor (IPB)—centre for climate risk and opportunity management in Southeast Asia Pacific (CCROM - SEAP), which was extended due to the impact of the covid pandemic. UNEP has had intensive consultation with the Ministry of Environment and Forestry and the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs to support the implementation of the following project two outcomes:

1. Prototype Fire Protection Associations (FPA’s)/Klasters are set up and operational and implementing IFM to reduce forest and peatland wildfires in their areas. The initial prototypes planned by the Government of Indonesia are seven Klasters across the country, of the 14 peat fire-prone districts.

2. South-South collaboration and outreach efforts generate momentum for countries and partners to accelerate the use of integrated fire management to reduce forest and peatland wildfires.

3. The design of a fire risk monitoring system can improve collaboration at national level with private sector and BNPB and improve preparedness at an earlier phase. Once operationalized, the Fire Risk System (FRS²) will provide a wide range of government actors with probabilistic information on the likelihood of fire activity at the provincial and district level.

2. Landscape selection

As part of the project through the FRS fire vulnerability maps, project locations were identified through an assessment of fire risk and fire vulnerability based on these maps as shown in Figure 1. Four categories of variables—biophysical, socioeconomic, exposure and adaptive capacity—were used in this assessment of fire vulnerability. For each of the selected 10 provinces and eight districts, 11 key variables were included. These were: (i) peat depth, (ii) land cover/use, (iii) distance to road, (iv) distance to the river, (v) distance to the village centre, (vi) land system, maps. Land system data is derived from the land system map provided by the Regional Physical Planning Project for Transmigration (RePPProT). For more information, see [5]. (vii) percentage of timber plantation concession area per sub-district, (viii) percentage of palm oil concession area per sub-district, (ix) percentage of logging concession area per sub-district, (x) population density, and (xi) regional gross domestic product.

Figure 1.

Fire risk vulnerability map of Barito Selatan (data from 2015). Source: Ipb-ccrom (Bogor agricultural university—Centre for climate risk and opportunity management in Southeast Asia pacific, fire risk monitoring system (see: http://kebakaranhutan.or.id/).

The number of satellite-detected fires per km² was used as the main measure of spatial and temporal occurrence of fires, using only high confidence locations were applied, with more than 50% certainty of fire activity (based on the official Indonesian fire data), which has data sources from four satellites, namely Terra Aqua, NOAA, SNPP, and Landsat 8, as well as weather data from BMKG. The data in SIPONGI is also more accurate because it contains information about the location at the village level and the status of the land. Vulnerability was calculated from scores and weights of vulnerability indicators, using composite mapping analysis (CMA) [6], resulting in vulnerability maps (e.g. Figure 1). The above-described fire risk monitoring system was verified following stakeholder consultation with key land users, mainly smallholders, who had lost perennial crops to fires in previous fire episodes (1997/98, 2002, 2006, 2009 and 2012) [5]. Using fire risk and vulnerability mapping, an area of around 20,000 ha was identified, where during recent years, fires affected more than 100,000 people and which has been emitting close to 90,0000 mt CO2 eq/year.

3. Local collaboration

To sustain impactful, bottom-up water governance structures at the landscape level, it is fundamental to effectively engage land-use managers and communities in damming and rewetting efforts. The project used small grants as incentives, to improve community welfare through the development of horticulture, fisheries and other livelihood activities, paid when people were actively involved in rehabilitation activities such as canal blocking. UNEP-led peatland rehabilitation efforts support community involvement in peatland forest fire control through provision of alternative and sustainable and profitable environmentally-friendly activities. In this way, it is also hoped that targeted communities will desist from illegal logging or slash-and-burn farming.

In close collaboration with the district government and the National Peat Restoration Agency (Badan Restorasi Gambut, BRG), dams were constructed in the canal between Sungai Mentangai and Sungai Purun in south Barito district, central Kalimantan Province in 2018, aimed at rewetting higher fire risk areas. Dam construction started as far inland as possible to limit environmental damage by heavy equipment used in construction, following an external environmental assessment. The project constructed compacted peat dams in 2019—2022 and plans to construct them in the next 2 years. Compared to other dam types, these are less expensive (US$500–1000 each), last longer, and have long been used by the plantation industry, with many thousands having been already built in central Kalimantan. The local government has financed most of this work with the project financing the design costs and building smaller structures for secondary channels.

Reforestation was also a key initial part of the project and is being continued by communities with government support, with nyamplung (Calophyllum inophyllum) planted in large numbers during the project, which produces excellent timber, fruit and medicinal honey.

3.1 The cluster approach

Vegetation management and maintenance of stable and correct groundwater levels are both critical to limit fuel availability and prevent peatland fires. Government Regulation 57/2016 recommends maintaining groundwater at no more than 40 cm deep, but ideally near the surface. Effective execution is also required and that considers all local interests. Collaboration between land users enables improved land use planning, specifically regarding drainage, which requires collaboration of land users, which is also required to ensure effective integrated fire management.

The project worked with clusters of fire protection associations to develop arrangements for integrated fire management that were agreed upon with land users and coordinated through incident and command systems. Figure 2 below shows how policy is guiding the initial piloting, which then should result in national rollout. As UNEP is in the process of both working on the financing and working towards nationwide implementation of the Klaster approach. Within the current project design, UNEP is preparing for a next phase to work towards a nationwide implementation of these clusters. At the institution level, currently, Kemitraan as SIAP partners are conducting a study on which model is best suited, either through a so-called special district service agency called BLUD or other forms like a special district government entity or a UPT. The process that has been tested and proved to be effective is presented below (Figure 2).

Figure 2.

Flow diagram with key activities for cluster establishment (UNEP, 2020).

These steps go hand in hand with guidelines for Klaster establishment in line with established GoI legislation and procedures. This includes:

1. Cluster regulation outlines the internal governance

2. Cluster establishment guidelines guiding members in implementing integrated fire management

3. Finetuning of the guidelines for the establishment of Klaster will be done in collaboration withthe BNPB training centres to ensure alignment with existing ICS guidelines, including those of private sector partners. The SIAP project deputy cluster managers will facilitate through joint knowledge-sharing sessions and facilitation to come to agreed ICS-based procedures from the community level up in terms of agreed As such to prevent fires. Improving land use practices and facilitating consensus between cluster members on a land use plan aligned with the required groundwater level for sustainable use of peatland, in turn, create fire-resilient landscapes. Managed by land users through clusters, this also leads to economic benefits. It is important that cluster organizations and members see clear and immediate benefits, as the will of stakeholders is critical to gain momentum. UNEP, in collaboration with a programme in South Africa, conducted a policy benchmarking study. Through stakeholder engagement, exchange visits and joint evaluations, a joint perspective was created for fire protection associations.

The government decided to apply to use such clusters to improve collaborative landscape management, particularly in peatlands. Using fire protection associations as a basis for peatland management also provides the necessary scale and resources, as a participatory mechanism for preventing wildfires. Currently, the project is based on pilots to support the development of guidelines (Figure 3).

Figure 3.

An example of a cluster for Oki district, South Sumatra (Source: UNEP, 2018).

4. Results

Supported by UNEP, the SIAP Project implementing partners (Kemitraan and CCROM IPB) organized two-phased training on how to use the FRS application for early risk detection and in combination with the cluster members’ capacity better aligned through standard operating procedures at cluster levels increased efficiency in fire suppression was achieved. The training conducted in Pulang Pisau was attended by 33 people representing the military, police, FMU/cluster companies, community-based fire brigade and local government offices, while 12 companies attended the training in Pelalawan in addition to the local disaster management agency, fire department and government offices. In Ogan Komering Ilir, the training trained 24 people from local government offices, Klaster-affiliated companies, the military and the police to increase their capacity to determine fire risks and plan basic preventive measures. In both cases, cluster worked towards increasing alignment in terms of land use planning.

4.1 Clear benefits

This shows that fire-resilient landscapes can be realized by including water management as an essential element of fire prevention, supported by clusters, and aligning land and forest use planning across management units, districts and communities. Improved water management has impacts on reducing greenhouse gas emissions from peat decomposition and subsidence but improving land use adjusted to drainage depth also requires a reduction in fires [7].

Based on these experiences, UNEP and its partners have developed clear procedural guidelines on how to establish clusters as described above. These detail the necessary processes that are gender sensitive and socially inclusive, can be adapted to all jurisdictional levels and enable effective collaboration of relevant government agencies. Cluster maintains the core principles of fire protection associations and integrated fire management, in line with international best practices in disaster risk reduction.

Furthermore, changes allow for improved local livelihoods, as hydrological reafforestation enables local communities to again rely on swamps for fish (kerapu and others) and products from native tree species such as sago (Metroxylon sago), jelutung (Dyera polyph) and gemor (Nothaphoebe coriacea). Other benefits are reduced fire incidence, and subsidence leading to subsidence [8] that improve overall human wellbeing, including for other land users, in particular indigenous communities through empowering of indigenous institutions like Handils, which are indigenous land-use systems, as practices in the cases of barioto Selatan. And as well as in some areas in Sumatra [9]. The term handil refers to the hand-dug, man-made waterways to gain access to farming fields in these areas as well as to the associations that manage the natural resources of the handil area, consisting of the handil canals and the surrounding agricultural land.

The cost implications based on a financial assessment [5] suggested that adopting the cluster approach would allow the government of Indonesia to make significant fiscal savings. However, a more in-depth study of actual expenditure on wildfire prevention and suppression between all agencies and departments, including at the provincial and local levels, would provide further insights.

4.2 Next steps

UNEP is preparing for a second phase of nationwide implementation of these clusters, and Kemitraan is conducting a study on which model is best suited, either through a special district service or district government agency, and ideally including indigenous institutions like Handils as members. As such, institutions in Kalimantan have similarities with Dutch water boards and are generally recognized as good managers of collective natural resources. They are relatively autonomous, effectively managing their area and its waterways, and have a form of democratic governance to guard members’ interests. They, therefore, have potential to function as institutions for regional, peat dome-based water management, similar to water boards. The social assessment of the project also recognized that the Handil model could be adapted as a peatland conservation management framework. Strengthening such institutions to cover water governance and community-based land use jurisdictions can ensure the sustainable use of peatlands through meaningful community engagement.

In addition. Water boards should be considered as an entry point for improved water governance. There are existing institutional structures in Indonesia, such as Handils, that can facilitate improved water governance. Handils are indigenous land use systems, as practised in parts of Central and South Kalimantan, and Sumatra [9]. Such water boards would ensure sustainability and reduce the chances of leakage through poor governance and lay the groundwork for fire-resilient landscapes addressing both subsidence and emission of GHG emissions [7, 8].

5. Conclusions

This case shows that the use of fire vulnerability as a tool for REDD+ activity selection on peatland can enable local policymakers and planners and reduces fire incidence and can hence deliver tangible greenhouse gas emission reduction and significant livelihood co-benefits. It also lays the foundation for community-driven sustainable development. As water channels are dammed in line with Dohoong et al., [10], the project has been paying out small grants to improve community welfare through the development of horticulture, fisheries and other livelihood opportunities. More recently, the government of Indonesia has also been providing village development grants to communities. In return for grants, people are obliged to be actively involved in peatland restoration. The project also trained four community-based fire brigades in Dusun Hilir that are now able to protect re-vegetated peatland, which has led to good results in the area. The results of rewetting and re-vegetation show that the fire risk system developed by the project allows for improved targeting of ecosystem restoration activities and so reduces the impact of smoke pollution that has affected tens of thousands of people in the last few years [1, 2].

To, significantly, reduce fire risk in Indonesian peatlands requires the establishment of land user associations in hydrologically defined areas [11]. These should be supported with the use of risk-based mapping tools to produce drainage-based land use plans that include forest, non-forest and community land uses. Communities must agree on joint planning objectives regarding rehabilitation, restoring peatlands through hydrological restoration (by raising groundwater level), and rehabilitating peatlands with paludiculture crops. In this way, and building on indigenous practices, fire-resilient landscapes can be co-created, and the cluster approach has proved to be a useful institutional vehicle for collaborative peatland management in particular against a baseline of increased risk due to climate change [12].