Water management for agriculture development in peatlands

Abstract

Peatlands are very vulnerable, and their existence must be maintained as stores of water and carbon stocks. Moreover, due to improper management, peatlands in Indonesia have degraded, resulting in various environmental problems such as fire, flooding, and subsidence. Drainage on peatlands that is not carried out properly causes the peat to dry out and even become vulnerable or flammable. The peat becoming dry on a large scale has the potential to increase subsidence and greenhouse gas emissions (such as CO2), which can contribute to local and global climate change. The management of peatlands in the cultivation area must pay attention to the unity of the peat area (landscape), including the existence of peat domes. The main parameters that need to be taken into account in land and water management in peat land are (1) Drainability Limits, (2) Subsidence, (3) Land Useful Life, (4) Adjacent Ecosystem Linkages, (5) Peatland Externalities, and (6) Priorities and Prevention of Massive and Disastrous Damage. Water management is one of the most important aspects in peatland management, which needs to be performed by water regulation so that the peat soil surface remains wet, preventing it from drought in the dry season and causing fires, and at the same time preventing flood disasters during the rainy season. Efforts to utilize excess water during the rainy season to cover the water deficit in the dry season need to be endeavoured to minimize wasted water.