Antara 18 Oct 18;
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesia`s Peat land Restoration Agency (BRG) has claimed that fewer hot spots were found in the peat land area under its restoration program through the 3Rs approach (rewetting, revegetation, livelihood revitalization).
"Similar to what Mr Haris (BRG`s Deputy for Research and Development Haris Gunawan) has done, making fish ponds or sampling farms, we map out the coordinates, and then we observe within one kilometer. If there are hot spots detected, it was not much, and located more than 2 km from the intervened area," BRG chief Nazir Foead said here on Wednesday.
He noted the intervention that included peat land rewetting by establishing canal blocks, building artesian wells, and livelihood revitalization by making fish ponds and farms had successfully reduced the number of hot spots.
"The lesson that we might take from this year`s dry season is our intervention. We already have thousands of canal blocks, artesian wells, and pilot projects for livelihood revitalization, and we still need a lot more," Nazir said.
The cost of development of canal blocks, artesian wells and fish ponds is relatively small, while it could save thousands of hectares of land from fires.
Public involvement in the projects, according to Nazir, has played an important role in increasing awareness over hot spots.
BRG has targeted to complete its intervention on 600 thousand hectares of peat land area in 2017-2018.
The remaining 400 thousand hectares of peat land?from the total 2.4 million hectares of peat land prioritized for restoration within five years since 2016?would be completed in 2019-2020.
"Of the total 2.4 million hectares, this year, we have restored some 600 thousand hectares. There are some 400 thousand hectares more outside the concession area," he said.
Reporting by Virna P Setyorini
editing by Sri Haryati, Eliswan
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
