Indonesia: Researchers Should Also Consider Economic Value from Peat Restoration

Netral News 8 Dec 17;

JAKARTA, NNC - The Peat Restoration Agency (BRG) expects peat researchers to assess the economic value of peat restoration.

Head of BRG Nazir Foead on a research presentation and workshop of Archipelago-Care Society said this is a good opportunity for peat restoration researchers to make a scientific study in terms of ecology, social justice and certainly from the economy. So it can provide benefits for the community and for investors in this wise, the banking sector.

He hoped the economic studies will be strengthened so that it can be the main foundation for the government in this case the Ministry of Economy to take policy.

In addition, it encourages the investment community that wants to be involved in the economic program in providing benefits for the society. "We want investors and the banking industry to participate in providing investment funds, basically the availability of investment funds is many," said Nazir.

But investors are very cautious in determining which investment they want to give. "They are looking for the right one and certainly have a good economic value," he said.

According to Nazir, President Joko Widodo wants to involve cultivation in the defense of food, plantations and alternative community resources in the peat restoration. "So in 2018 there should be a massive activity that is not just an example project for cultivation in food security, if possible the size of the implementation is not in small numbers, and certainly by looking at the various potentials in the region."

In the research presentation activity the researchers describe a variety of community economic alternatives that include agriculture, livestock, fisheries, forestry and potential commodities as well as adaptive in integrated wetland peatlands.

Action research is still being done so that in the end this results as a comprehensive scientific recommendation and can be accounted for as a breakthrough in the acceleration of peat restoration.