![Page 1: Challenges of mitigating commercial agriculture over ... · Challenges of mitigating commercial agriculture over tropical peatlands in Indonesia. Janice Ser Huay Lee. janicelee@ntu.edu.sg](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062921/5f03380c7e708231d4082008/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
LoCARNet 7th Annual Meeting – November 21 2018 – Jakarta, Indonesia
Challenges of mitigating commercial agriculture over tropical peatlands in
IndonesiaJanice Ser Huay Lee
Coupled Human and Natural Systems LabAsian School of the Environment | Earth Observatory Singapore
Nanyang Technological University of Singapore
![Page 2: Challenges of mitigating commercial agriculture over ... · Challenges of mitigating commercial agriculture over tropical peatlands in Indonesia. Janice Ser Huay Lee. janicelee@ntu.edu.sg](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062921/5f03380c7e708231d4082008/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
Outline
• Tropical peatlands in Southeast Asia• Commercial agriculture expansion over tropical
peatlands in Indonesia• What we know so far• Changing actors in rapidly degrading landscape
• Peatland governance for low carbon development
![Page 3: Challenges of mitigating commercial agriculture over ... · Challenges of mitigating commercial agriculture over tropical peatlands in Indonesia. Janice Ser Huay Lee. janicelee@ntu.edu.sg](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062921/5f03380c7e708231d4082008/html5/thumbnails/3.jpg)
Outline
• Tropical peatlands in Southeast Asia• Commercial agriculture expansion over tropical
peatlands in Indonesia• What we know so far• Changing actors in rapidly degrading landscape
• Peatland governance for low carbon development
![Page 4: Challenges of mitigating commercial agriculture over ... · Challenges of mitigating commercial agriculture over tropical peatlands in Indonesia. Janice Ser Huay Lee. janicelee@ntu.edu.sg](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062921/5f03380c7e708231d4082008/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
“Peatlands are wetlands with a thick water-logged organic soil layer (peat) made up of dead and decaying plant material. Peatlands include moors, bogs, mires, peat swamp forests and permafrost tundra.”
Wetlands International
Photo: Global Carbon Project
What are peatlands?
![Page 5: Challenges of mitigating commercial agriculture over ... · Challenges of mitigating commercial agriculture over tropical peatlands in Indonesia. Janice Ser Huay Lee. janicelee@ntu.edu.sg](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062921/5f03380c7e708231d4082008/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
Wahyunto et al. (2003) Wetlands InternationalPosa et al. (2011) Bioscience
Page et al. (2011) Glob Ch Bio
Southeast Asia’s peatlands
![Page 6: Challenges of mitigating commercial agriculture over ... · Challenges of mitigating commercial agriculture over tropical peatlands in Indonesia. Janice Ser Huay Lee. janicelee@ntu.edu.sg](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062921/5f03380c7e708231d4082008/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
Photo: Greenpeace
![Page 7: Challenges of mitigating commercial agriculture over ... · Challenges of mitigating commercial agriculture over tropical peatlands in Indonesia. Janice Ser Huay Lee. janicelee@ntu.edu.sg](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062921/5f03380c7e708231d4082008/html5/thumbnails/7.jpg)
Support Livelihoods
Photo: CIFOR Photo: ABC News.au
![Page 8: Challenges of mitigating commercial agriculture over ... · Challenges of mitigating commercial agriculture over tropical peatlands in Indonesia. Janice Ser Huay Lee. janicelee@ntu.edu.sg](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062921/5f03380c7e708231d4082008/html5/thumbnails/8.jpg)
Photo: Outrop.org
![Page 9: Challenges of mitigating commercial agriculture over ... · Challenges of mitigating commercial agriculture over tropical peatlands in Indonesia. Janice Ser Huay Lee. janicelee@ntu.edu.sg](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062921/5f03380c7e708231d4082008/html5/thumbnails/9.jpg)
Photo: Greenpeace
Photo: forclime.org
Photo: Orangutan Conservancy
Photo: Greenpeace
Yule (2010) Biod Cons; Posa et al. (2011) Bioscience
![Page 10: Challenges of mitigating commercial agriculture over ... · Challenges of mitigating commercial agriculture over tropical peatlands in Indonesia. Janice Ser Huay Lee. janicelee@ntu.edu.sg](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062921/5f03380c7e708231d4082008/html5/thumbnails/10.jpg)
![Page 11: Challenges of mitigating commercial agriculture over ... · Challenges of mitigating commercial agriculture over tropical peatlands in Indonesia. Janice Ser Huay Lee. janicelee@ntu.edu.sg](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062921/5f03380c7e708231d4082008/html5/thumbnails/11.jpg)
Production for…
Paper Wood Palm oil
![Page 12: Challenges of mitigating commercial agriculture over ... · Challenges of mitigating commercial agriculture over tropical peatlands in Indonesia. Janice Ser Huay Lee. janicelee@ntu.edu.sg](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062921/5f03380c7e708231d4082008/html5/thumbnails/12.jpg)
Outline
• Tropical peatlands in Southeast Asia• Commercial agriculture expansion over tropical
peatlands in Indonesia• What we know so far• Changing actors in rapidly degrading landscape
• Peatland governance for low carbon development
![Page 13: Challenges of mitigating commercial agriculture over ... · Challenges of mitigating commercial agriculture over tropical peatlands in Indonesia. Janice Ser Huay Lee. janicelee@ntu.edu.sg](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062921/5f03380c7e708231d4082008/html5/thumbnails/13.jpg)
Miettinen et al. (2012) ICCT
Industrial plantations over peatlands
![Page 14: Challenges of mitigating commercial agriculture over ... · Challenges of mitigating commercial agriculture over tropical peatlands in Indonesia. Janice Ser Huay Lee. janicelee@ntu.edu.sg](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062921/5f03380c7e708231d4082008/html5/thumbnails/14.jpg)
Extent of planted oil palm area over peat
Koh et al. (2011) PNAS
Mature, 8 yearsArea > 2 km2
![Page 15: Challenges of mitigating commercial agriculture over ... · Challenges of mitigating commercial agriculture over tropical peatlands in Indonesia. Janice Ser Huay Lee. janicelee@ntu.edu.sg](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062921/5f03380c7e708231d4082008/html5/thumbnails/15.jpg)
Area of oil palm planted on peatlands (ha)
Extent of closed canopy oil palm over peatlandsBo
rneo
Sum
atra
Indonesia
![Page 16: Challenges of mitigating commercial agriculture over ... · Challenges of mitigating commercial agriculture over tropical peatlands in Indonesia. Janice Ser Huay Lee. janicelee@ntu.edu.sg](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062921/5f03380c7e708231d4082008/html5/thumbnails/16.jpg)
Large-estates or smallholders as agents of peatswamp deforestation?
Lee et al. (2013) Cons Lett
Smallholder plantations > 25 ha
Removed overlaps among sectors and with timber plantation concessions
![Page 17: Challenges of mitigating commercial agriculture over ... · Challenges of mitigating commercial agriculture over tropical peatlands in Indonesia. Janice Ser Huay Lee. janicelee@ntu.edu.sg](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062921/5f03380c7e708231d4082008/html5/thumbnails/17.jpg)
Peatswamp forest loss from 2000-2010 in Sumatra: ~1.3 million ha
94%6%
Peatswamp forest loss within the oil palm industryPeatswamp forest loss
from the oil palm industry
30%
Others
Lee et al. (2013) Cons Lett
![Page 18: Challenges of mitigating commercial agriculture over ... · Challenges of mitigating commercial agriculture over tropical peatlands in Indonesia. Janice Ser Huay Lee. janicelee@ntu.edu.sg](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062921/5f03380c7e708231d4082008/html5/thumbnails/18.jpg)
Peatswamp forest loss from 2000-2010 in Sumatra: ~1.3 million ha
94%6%
Peatswamp forest loss within the oil palm industryPeatswamp forest loss
from the oil palm industry
30%
Others
Lee et al. (2013) Cons Lett
70 – 77% of emissions from the oil palm industry came
from PSF loss within private enterprises
![Page 19: Challenges of mitigating commercial agriculture over ... · Challenges of mitigating commercial agriculture over tropical peatlands in Indonesia. Janice Ser Huay Lee. janicelee@ntu.edu.sg](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062921/5f03380c7e708231d4082008/html5/thumbnails/19.jpg)
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Mangrove Peatswamp forest Lowland forest Lower montaneforest
Total forest cover
Perc
enta
ge fo
rest
cov
er lo
ss in
Sum
atra
for
2000
-20
10
Other
Acacia
State
Smallholder
Company
Are we missing the impacts from the pulp and paper industry?
![Page 20: Challenges of mitigating commercial agriculture over ... · Challenges of mitigating commercial agriculture over tropical peatlands in Indonesia. Janice Ser Huay Lee. janicelee@ntu.edu.sg](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062921/5f03380c7e708231d4082008/html5/thumbnails/20.jpg)
Abood, Lee et al. (2014) Cons Lett
Peatswamp forest loss in different concessions
![Page 21: Challenges of mitigating commercial agriculture over ... · Challenges of mitigating commercial agriculture over tropical peatlands in Indonesia. Janice Ser Huay Lee. janicelee@ntu.edu.sg](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062921/5f03380c7e708231d4082008/html5/thumbnails/21.jpg)
Abood, Lee et al. (2014) Cons Lett
Peatswamp forest loss in different concessions
![Page 22: Challenges of mitigating commercial agriculture over ... · Challenges of mitigating commercial agriculture over tropical peatlands in Indonesia. Janice Ser Huay Lee. janicelee@ntu.edu.sg](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062921/5f03380c7e708231d4082008/html5/thumbnails/22.jpg)
Smallholders playing a more active role?
![Page 23: Challenges of mitigating commercial agriculture over ... · Challenges of mitigating commercial agriculture over tropical peatlands in Indonesia. Janice Ser Huay Lee. janicelee@ntu.edu.sg](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062921/5f03380c7e708231d4082008/html5/thumbnails/23.jpg)
Who is the smallholder?
![Page 24: Challenges of mitigating commercial agriculture over ... · Challenges of mitigating commercial agriculture over tropical peatlands in Indonesia. Janice Ser Huay Lee. janicelee@ntu.edu.sg](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062921/5f03380c7e708231d4082008/html5/thumbnails/24.jpg)
Outline
• Tropical peatlands in Southeast Asia• Commercial agriculture expansion over tropical
peatlands in Indonesia• What we know so far• Changing actors in rapidly degrading landscape
• Peatland governance for low carbon development
![Page 25: Challenges of mitigating commercial agriculture over ... · Challenges of mitigating commercial agriculture over tropical peatlands in Indonesia. Janice Ser Huay Lee. janicelee@ntu.edu.sg](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062921/5f03380c7e708231d4082008/html5/thumbnails/25.jpg)
• Is any development sustainable at all?• Still lack in our understanding of peat ecosystem• Manage these systems in knowledge gap
Sustainable development of peat?
![Page 26: Challenges of mitigating commercial agriculture over ... · Challenges of mitigating commercial agriculture over tropical peatlands in Indonesia. Janice Ser Huay Lee. janicelee@ntu.edu.sg](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062921/5f03380c7e708231d4082008/html5/thumbnails/26.jpg)
International/National/Sub-national Governance Systems
Changing corporate activities
Involving local communities
![Page 27: Challenges of mitigating commercial agriculture over ... · Challenges of mitigating commercial agriculture over tropical peatlands in Indonesia. Janice Ser Huay Lee. janicelee@ntu.edu.sg](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062921/5f03380c7e708231d4082008/html5/thumbnails/27.jpg)
Diverting development away from PSFPeatland development within concessions• High Conservation Value
status under ISPO/RSPO • REDD+ to offset opportunity
costs for not developing PSF• Land swaps (under Peatland
Restoration Agency)• Moratorium over peatlands
![Page 28: Challenges of mitigating commercial agriculture over ... · Challenges of mitigating commercial agriculture over tropical peatlands in Indonesia. Janice Ser Huay Lee. janicelee@ntu.edu.sg](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062921/5f03380c7e708231d4082008/html5/thumbnails/28.jpg)
Credit: Graham Usher, PanEco
Government action
Tripa Peatswamp forests in Aceh
1989: 61,000 ha2012: 10,700 ha
![Page 29: Challenges of mitigating commercial agriculture over ... · Challenges of mitigating commercial agriculture over tropical peatlands in Indonesia. Janice Ser Huay Lee. janicelee@ntu.edu.sg](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062921/5f03380c7e708231d4082008/html5/thumbnails/29.jpg)
Political economy of PSF development
050
100150200250300350400
Without logging Logging degradedforests
Logging primaryforests
NPV
USD
/ha
Scenarios of oil palm establishment
Provincial
Producing district
Adapted from Irawan et al. (2013) Ecol Econs
![Page 30: Challenges of mitigating commercial agriculture over ... · Challenges of mitigating commercial agriculture over tropical peatlands in Indonesia. Janice Ser Huay Lee. janicelee@ntu.edu.sg](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062921/5f03380c7e708231d4082008/html5/thumbnails/30.jpg)
Changing corporate practices
![Page 31: Challenges of mitigating commercial agriculture over ... · Challenges of mitigating commercial agriculture over tropical peatlands in Indonesia. Janice Ser Huay Lee. janicelee@ntu.edu.sg](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062921/5f03380c7e708231d4082008/html5/thumbnails/31.jpg)
Involving local communitiesPeatland development outside of concessions- Recognizing land rights
of local communities- Encouraging more
community-company partnerships for smallholder agriculture
- Restoring degraded peatlands in Indonesia
![Page 32: Challenges of mitigating commercial agriculture over ... · Challenges of mitigating commercial agriculture over tropical peatlands in Indonesia. Janice Ser Huay Lee. janicelee@ntu.edu.sg](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062921/5f03380c7e708231d4082008/html5/thumbnails/32.jpg)
JA - One boundary to rule them all
![Page 33: Challenges of mitigating commercial agriculture over ... · Challenges of mitigating commercial agriculture over tropical peatlands in Indonesia. Janice Ser Huay Lee. janicelee@ntu.edu.sg](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062921/5f03380c7e708231d4082008/html5/thumbnails/33.jpg)
Tools for implementing JA
![Page 34: Challenges of mitigating commercial agriculture over ... · Challenges of mitigating commercial agriculture over tropical peatlands in Indonesia. Janice Ser Huay Lee. janicelee@ntu.edu.sg](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062921/5f03380c7e708231d4082008/html5/thumbnails/34.jpg)
Future for Indonesia’s peatlands?
Miettinen et al. (2012); Carlson et al. (2013); Abood et al. (2015); Sloan et al. (2017); Wijedasa et al. (2018)
1970s: Logging of peatswamp forests - increased desiccation1980-2000s: Draining of peatswamp forests, industrial plantation development2000s-present: Mixed agency of companies and smallholders2020, 2030, 2040, 2050 – future scenarios for peatlands in Indonesia?
![Page 35: Challenges of mitigating commercial agriculture over ... · Challenges of mitigating commercial agriculture over tropical peatlands in Indonesia. Janice Ser Huay Lee. janicelee@ntu.edu.sg](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062921/5f03380c7e708231d4082008/html5/thumbnails/35.jpg)
Implications for fires & carbon emissions• Fires are intricately linked to
peatland degradation through the years
• Peatlands moving from a carbon sink to carbon source
• Will Indonesia’s peatland restoration reverse this trend?
![Page 36: Challenges of mitigating commercial agriculture over ... · Challenges of mitigating commercial agriculture over tropical peatlands in Indonesia. Janice Ser Huay Lee. janicelee@ntu.edu.sg](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062921/5f03380c7e708231d4082008/html5/thumbnails/36.jpg)
Thank you!
![Page 37: Challenges of mitigating commercial agriculture over ... · Challenges of mitigating commercial agriculture over tropical peatlands in Indonesia. Janice Ser Huay Lee. janicelee@ntu.edu.sg](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062921/5f03380c7e708231d4082008/html5/thumbnails/37.jpg)
![Page 38: Challenges of mitigating commercial agriculture over ... · Challenges of mitigating commercial agriculture over tropical peatlands in Indonesia. Janice Ser Huay Lee. janicelee@ntu.edu.sg](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062921/5f03380c7e708231d4082008/html5/thumbnails/38.jpg)
Gross carbon dioxide
emissions (Mt)
Oil palm sector
Sumatra Total Private enterprise Smallholder State-
owned
Mean 3,526-4,502 756-1,043 685-956(90.6-91.7)
67-83(8.9-8.0)
4.19-4.21(0.6-0.4)
Low 2,747-3,090 599-700 543-638(90.7-91.1)
52-58(8.7-8.3)
3.49-3.50(0.6-0.5)
High 4,387-6,231 919-1,462 830-1,342(90.3-91.8)
84-115(9.1-7.9)
4.89-4.93(0.5-0.3)
Gross CO2 emissions (Mt) from total forest loss
70 – 77% of emissions from the oil palm industry came from PSF loss within private enterprises
Lee et al. (2013) Cons Lett