Adopting Better Practices of Rubber Tapping
In many villages around Central Kalimantan rubber tapping is a profession that has been passed down from generation to generation. One of them is Pilang in Pulang Pisau Regency, where around 70% of households cultivate rubber. Pak Jonedy, the head of one of the neighborhoods, harvests latex from the trees in his small plantation of […]
In Search of Peat-Friendly Land Use
In May 2023, the Gambut Kita team visited a range of project field sites in Pulang Pisau regency in Central Kalimantan, before going on to visit other research sites in South Sumatra. The team included researchers from CSIRO, BRIN, BSI, a number of Australian and Indonesian universities, the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation (BOSF) and Yayasan Tambuhak Sinta (YTS).
The Practice of Peatland Rehabilitation
In Kalimantan, the mining sector has a significant environmental impact on forested lands. For this reason, mining companies that obtain Borrow-to-Use Forest Area Permits (IPPKH) are responsible for carrying out forest rehabilitation of damaged Watershed Areas (DAS).
Rewetting and Restoring the Sebangau National Park
Gambut Kita recently met with researchers at the University of Palangkaraya who have been working within the project to measure the increased levels of peat acidification and carbon emissions that result from peatland fires in the Sebangau National Park. The park has an area of 568,700 hectares and lies just across the river from the […]
<strong>Pineapples on Peatlands</strong>
The Best Pineapple in Indonesia If you are travelling along the highway from Palangkaraya to Buntok, then it is worth stopping along the way just to sample the famous ‘Parigi Pineapple’. Here, in the shallow peatlands surrounding Desa Pararapak and Desa Parigi in South Barito Regency, the successful cultivation of rubber trees intercropped with pineapples […]
Fish Farming Opportunities in Peatlands
Snakehead Fish, known in Indonesia as ‘ikan gabus’ (Channa striata) as well as Climbing Perch, known as ‘ikan betok’ (Anabas testudineus) are both native fish species that flourish in the peatlands of Kalimantan. However, wild populations are at risk due to pollution of rivers and illegal fishing practices. To help with local conservation, the Palangka […]
Traditional Rattan Gardens of Kalimantan
Rattan (Calamus sp.) thrives in the forest gardens of Pilang Village. The vine climbs into the trees and hangs from the upper branches in the elongated shape of a hosepipe. According to Mury Isa (63 years old), a resident of Pilang Village, the vine is ready for harvest even when it is still protected by its green and splendidly thorny skin.
Safe Harvests for Honey Hunters
In the peatlands of Central Kalimantan, the forest flowers twice a year, usually in June and November. At this time, a group of 10 honey-hunters from Tumbang Nusa will go around the forest together, looking for wild beehives to harvest.
Fewer Fires in Managed Landscapes
Following the severe fire events of 2015, Indonesia introduced new fire prevention measures to reduce crop destruction, haze, forest degradation, and carbon emissions. The fire prevention efforts, which include strict enforcement of the presidential ban on burning, have resulted in significant fire reductions. Between 2016 and 2019, fires were reduced by 77% compared to previous expectations for similar weather conditions. Satellite […]
Tropical Peat Soils Under Different Land Uses
It is widely acknowledged that tropical peatlands play an important role in the global carbon balance. Carbon stocks and fluxes have been the focus of growing research attention as the greenhouse gas emissions from peatlands, as well as their potential to act as carbon sinks, have gained international prominence in forums such as the COP talks and IPCC reports.