Haze Pollution and Peatlands: Can ASEAN Finally Breathe Easy?

 

 

Peatlands: Victim of Conflict and Vested Interests

Large concessionaires have well–managed system of canals within their concessions. Experts estimate a water level of 40-60 cm below ground level is needed for maximum productivity of crops and maintaining the ecological integrity of peatlands. Companies looking at quick short-term gains are just keen to destroy the peatland ecosystem with a single cropping cycle, and then look for new fertile areas to plant.

 

Strangely, there are protests against the Indonesian moratorium against opening new peatland areas, and the regulation on maintaining water level, when these regulations are only helping the companies to get better value out of their existing concessions. Most importantly, the footprint of a peatland ecosystem covers a much larger area in terms of its hydrological (water) system. Systemic water management can only take place at this landscape level, not individuals blocking canals or even large plantations managing water within their concessions.

 

In any case, the biggest challenge in managing water, or the acute lack of it, is during the dry season. This is when the water level drops significantly and there would not be enough water even to fill the canals, let alone to put out fires on peatlands as they occur. This is the primary reason for the severe episodes of haze pollution in the region, and it should be clear why during these times everyone points the finger at each other.

 

All in all, even the seemingly simple task of blocking canals raises many systemic issues that can only be resolved through sustained political leadership and government stewardship working closely with all stakeholders.

 

Peatlands: The Ecosystem Approach

It is refreshing to hear President Jokowi frequently mention the ecosystem approach and his concern for widespread monoculture – dependence on a single species of commercial value – during the visit. Being trained in forestry, he knows what he is talking about, and that his symbolic act of canal blocking is not going to solve the problem.

 

As a former furniture businessman, he perfectly understands the importance of sustainable natural resource management and its huge contribution to the economy and employment. Already he has merged the forestry and environment ministries to provide better coordination among environment and natural resources-related policies and implementation.

 

While the people of ASEAN may have to hold their breath a while longer, things are moving in the right direction in Indonesia as far as addressing forest fires and smoke haze is concerned.

 

 

* This is the first in a series on the issue of haze pollution in ASEAN.

Raman Letchumanan is a Senior Fellow with the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University. The views expressed here are strictly his own. Dr Raman was the person-in-charge of fire and haze issues at the ASEAN Secretariat for 14 years, and prior to that in the Malaysian Government.