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.
<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.
Shorea Shows Promise for Smallholder Timber
Pak Stomo is an elementary school teacher in Tumbang Nusa Village. He owns one hectare of peatland, conveniently located behind his house. In 2015, a great fire swept across his land. Nothing was left standing. “I had planted rubber, rambutan and pineapple. But everything burned, nothing was left,” Stomo recalled.
Adaptation Strategies of Transmigrant Farmers
Pak Ramin is a successful farmer who grows a variety of vegetable crops on his 1.5 hectare farm. Having relocated from Java to Kalimantan, he says that he now leads a more prosperous life than he did in his hometown. But, he had to struggle for decades just to get to this point.
Economic Livelihoods in Pilang Village
Pilang is a traditional village in the Pulang Pisau regency of Central Kalimantan. Two-thirds of the regency is comprised of peatlands, and Pilang is no exception, with 20,994 hectares out of the total village land area of 28,114 hectares covered by shallow peat soils.