an extreme fire event in 2013 a non el niño year
DESCRIPTION
This presentation by David Gaveau from CIFOR during the Forests Asia Summit at the learning event "Fire and Haze in Southeast Asian Landscapes" explains the non-El Nino event in 2013 and how this is related to the haze in Indonesia.TRANSCRIPT
An extreme fire event in 2013a non El Niño yearDavid L.A. Gaveau
Until 2013, trans-boundary haze events in Southeast Asiawere exclusively associated with the large forest fires thatfollowed extended El Niño droughts.
But in June 2013 – a non El Niño year – Indonesian firesgenerated extreme pollution levels over Sumatra, Malaysiaand Singapore.
Air Pollution levels in Singapore reached a record 246on 22 June 2013
22 June 2013Non El Niño)
07 Oct. 2006 (El Niño)19 Sept. 1997 (El Niño)
Jan
1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Data from National Environment Agency of Singapore
El Niño
Non El Niño
• The Indonesian fires behind the 2013 haze event were limited to a localized area in Central Sumatra (1.6% of Indonesia in Riau province)
• An estimated 163,336 ha (including 137,044 ha, or 84% on peat) burned according to our LANDSAT analysis (very high correspondence with Fire Hotspots)
The bulk of fires (82%; 133,216 ha) burned ‘non-forest’
In 2013, Not Forest fires
Different scenario from the4.5-6 million ha of forest destroyedby fire in 1997
57% of burned ‘non-forest’ areas were ‘forest cemeteries’:i.e. a mosaic of scrub&exposed soil, with stumps, downedtrunks and branches
• Over half of burned areas (58%; 94,308 ha) were forested five years previously
• The 2013 Sumatran fires do not qualify as forest fires, and therefore have caused negligible deforestation.
• However, the 2013 fires are part of the process that converts forests to agricultural plantations in Sumatra.
2013 was not an El Niño year (2013 was 7.6% wetter than the historical 1961-2013 average)
Rainfall deficits of 39 mm and 47 mm occurred in May and June 2013
CLIMATIC INFLUENCE
Rain
fall
(mm
/ y
ear)
PSI reached a record 246 in June2013
01 July 9731 June 98
Previous PSI record of 138 in Sept. 1997
01 July 1231 June 13
Source NOAA-PREC/L
2013 was 7.6% wetter than historical average (2,530 compared to2,350 mm yr-1)
Rainfall deficit in May and June 2013
uly ug ept ct ov ec an eb ar pr ay une
Rainfall deficits of 39 mm and 47 mm occurred in May and June 2013
A 10% decrease in rainfall induced more than 60% of increase in fires.
Monthly Fire intensity (fire radiative power, FRP) in Riaucorrelated to mean rainfall over two months
The June 2013 fires released an estimated 171 Tg CO2-eq of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere in one single week.
These emissions would be 5-10% of Indonesia’s annual total emissions for 2000-2005 and originate from 1.6% of Indonesia’s landmass.
MEASURING CARBON EMISSIONS
• The Indonesian fires of 2013 were triggered by a seasonal two month dry spell in an otherwise rainy year.
• These fires were short-lived (one week) and confined to recently deforested peatlands in a localized area in Central Sumatra (in Riau)
• The area affected was less than the 4.56 Million ha of forest destroyed in 1997.
• However, the emissions of GHG and smoke during this brief localised event (one week and 1.6% of Indonesia’s land) were large because of the peat.
• These fires generated unprecedented atmospheric pollution in Singapore because of their proximity and the prevailing south westerly monsoon winds
Just over half the area burned lay within concession areas allocated for oil palm and Acacia industrial plantations (84,717 ha or 52%),but 60% of this (50,248 ha; or 31% of total burned area) was occupied by smallholders.
48% of total burned areas was outside concessions, mainly on land owned by MoF (HP) but disputed by provincial government
WHO BURNED ?
• 52% of total burned area was within concessions, but 60% of this (50,248 ha; or 31% of total burned area) was occupied by smallholders
• 48% of total burned areas was outside concessions, mainly on land owned by MoF (HP) but disputed by provincial government
Conflicts ? We found cases where
tensions between plantation companies and communities resulted in fires.
The legal situation of land-ownership is not entirely clear, and fires may be linked to these governance issues.
Companies say they are the victim. Communities say the same. Different agencies at different levels of f government show disagreement over land control
A landscape approach seeking balanced trade-offs between agriculturalexpansion, peat land and forest conservation, and equitable benefitdistribution from land use is the solution for fires reduction.
This may be achieved by harmonizing national, provincial, and customaryland and forest use regulations by establishing equitable land ownershipand distribution of benefits for indigenous groups, migrants, mid-levelinvestors, and companies, by establishing effective processes to addressand mediate conflicts related to land use, and by aligning the economicincentives for improved land use, keeping a strong stance against corruption and illegal land speculators from all levels.