Presented by Mi Hyun Seol, Scientist, CIFOR-ICRAF, on the ITPC side event “Can bioenergy from degraded peatlands provide a potential alternative to meet growing energy demands? Lesson learned from Indonesia” at the XV World Forestry Congress, Seoul, Republic of Korea, 4 May 2022.

1. Environmental Benefits of Bioenergy Trees
Production in Degraded Peatland
Mihyun Seol
04 May 2022
1

2. Backgrounds
• The most widespread type of wetlands (50–70%) (BBPPSDLP, 2011).
• Providing globally important ecological, climate benefits,
socio‐economic benefits (Harrison et al., 2019).
• Importance for biodiversity (Posa et al., 2011)
• Peatland conversion to agriculture with severe peat fires (Carmenta
et al., 2017).
• Releasing huge volumes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere
(FAO, 2012) and caused severe damage to ecosystems and
biodiversity (Saharjo, 2016).
“Approximately, 95 percent of Indonesia’s peatlands are already degraded (FAO, 2012)”

3. What and Where Are Peatlands?
• What is Peat?
• Peat has been on our planet for around 360 million years.
• Type of organic soil made up of partly decomposed vegetation
• Formed over centuries in waterlogged conditions.
• Where are Peatlands?
• The vast majority of peatlands can be found in colder climates,
in temperate or boreal areas.
• Tropical countries with large stores of peat include the
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Peru, and Indonesia. The two-hectare bioenergy trial plot in Buntoi, Central Kalimantan
Taken by M.Edliadi, CIFOR
Murdiyarso et al.. 2017. Why Peatlands Matter. Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR)

4. Critical Role of Peatlands
• Why are peatlands important?
• Millions of people live on peatlands for their livelihoods.
• Provide food, clean water and other benefits to people.
• Prevent droughts, floods and intrusion of salt water.
• Hosting endangered species like orangutans and the Sumatran Tiger.
Dedicated to biodiversity.
• Critical role in climate change mitigation and adaptation.
• Estimates suggest peatlands contain twice as much carbon as all the
world’s forests and four times as much as the atmosphere.
Murdiyarso et al.. 2017. Why Peatlands Matter. Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR)

5. Forest Fires Cause Forest Loss
• Forest Fires cause water resource damage, carbon emissions, destruction of
vegetation, biodiversity loss, health expenses, business travel disruption, the cost
of ecosystem restoration, and global warming
• Peatland fires have significant impacts on soil mesofauna and macrofauna
communities
• Seven provinces were severely affected by haze: Riau, Jambi, South Sumatra, West
Kalimantan, East Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan and Papua in 2015. Of the 2.6
million hectares of burnt area, 33% was peat land with the remainder mineral
land.
• In 2015, mineral and peat fire burnt 2.6 million hectares, mostly in the provinces
of Riau, South Sumatra, Jambi, Central Kalimantan, West Kalimantan and Papua,
and costed USD16.1 billion (the World Bank).
• The cost of fire and haze was USD 16.1 billion
Purnomo et al. 2017. Fire economy and actor network of forest and land fires in Indonesia, 78(2017) 21-31

6. Peatlands in Tropical Regions Store the Most Carbon
• When peat burns, enormous levels of carbon dioxide and other gases are
emitted into the atmosphere.
• Forest fires in Indonesia in September and October of 2015 released 11.3
million tons of carbon dioxide every day, higher than the daily emissions
produced by the entire European Union over the same period.
• Less than 0.4% of the world’s surface is made up of drained or degrading
peatlands, but these account for 5% of all global emissions of carbon dioxide
produced directly by human activities.
• In the peatlands of Borneo, Peninsular Malaysia, and Sumatra alone, forest
cover fell by more than half between 1990 and 2010 – from 77% to 36%.
Purnomo et al. 2017. Fire economy and actor network of forest and land fires in Indonesia, 78(2017) 21-31

7. Bioenergy Tree Species on Degraded Peatlands in Buntoi, Central Kalimantan
• Investigates factors affecting preferences for restoration tree species by analysing responses (Yustina Artati et al. 2020)
• 150 landowners were investigated with fire experience in Buntoi village
• 76% of landowners preferred familiar species such as “sengon”, Albizia chinensis and “rubber”, Hevea brasiliensis,
for restoration on degraded land
• Only 8% of landowners preferred “nyamplung” Calophyllum inophyllum L. for bioenergy production.
• They took advantages of “nyamplung” because
• 1) it is capable of handling the uncertainty of the bioenergy market as they had additional jobs and income
• 2) it is helpful for agricultural extension to improve their technical capacity.
• In terms of suitability, “nyamplung” is the most adaptable species, followed by “kemiri sunan” (Siti Maimunah et al 2020)
• Both species perform better under agroforestry than monoculture treatments.

8. • Multipurpose species naturally across Indonesia; in Sumatra,
Java, Bali, Nusa Tenggara and Maluku.
• Grow to a height of 15–20m and thrives in a range of harsh
environmental conditions.
• Its seeds can generate up to 40% crude pongamia oil by weight.
• A nitrogen-fixing tree that can help restore degraded land and
improve soil properties.
• Provide wood, fodder, medicine, fertilizer and biogas.
• Potential for producing biofuel and restoring degraded land.
• However, the potential competition for land and for raw
materials with other biomass uses must be carefully managed.
Pongamia: A possible option for degraded land restoration and
bioenergy production in Indonesia (Budi Leksono et al 2020)
Pongamia
Producing Renewable Energy as well as Restoring Landscapes
Bamboo
• The growing demand for energy in Indonesia is driven by
population growth, urbanization and economic
development.
• As Indonesia has a rich biomass base, bioenergy has
become an important component of the nation’s energy
agenda.
• A crucial problem with bioenergy production is its
potential impacts on food security, the environment and
biodiversity.
• Advantages in restoring degraded lands are its rapid
growth, long root systems, easy maintenance and ability to
grow in harsh conditions indicate
Bamboo: Potential for bioenergy and landscape restoration in
Indonesia (Sharma et al 2020)
Bamboo: Potential for bioenergy and landscape restoration in
Indonesia

9. THANK YOU!