Presented by Choi Hyung Soon, Director of Global Forestry Research Division, National Institute of Forest Science (NIFoS) – Republic of Korea, on the ITPC side event “Could a virtual collaborative platform help to preserve tropical peatlands?” at the XV World Forestry Congress, Seoul, Republic of Korea, 5 May 2022.

1. Could a Virtual Collaborative Platform help preserve tropical peatland? (5th May, 2022)
Dr. Hyungsoon CHOI
Director, Global Forestry Division, National Institute of Forest Science, Republic of Korea
Development for Indonesian peatlands as local communities based
on cooperative research between NIFoS and CIFOR

2. CONTENTS
Overview
Research Project for Peatland Restoration
SDGs and NbS for Peatland Restoration
NIFoS’s Research Platform
Conclusion

3. 1 Overview

4. Why peatland? The peatlands in Indonesia
4/22
• Soil is formed by plant residue through long-term decomposition processes but not entirely because of a water logged
environment rich in organic matters; it sequesters ten times more CO2 than typical soil
⇒ might contribute to the carbon neutrality
• Area of tropical peatland is found in Southeast Asia, Latin America, and Central Africa, about 42 million ha, and
approx. 148GtCO2-e of carbon is estimated to be sequestered (Page et al., 2010)

5. 5/22
Why peatland? The peatlands in Indonesia
• 47% of the world peatlands are placed in Indonesia, together
with trees and plants to formulate ‘peat dome’ and ‘peat swamp
forest’ (Ritung et al., 2012)
• Nearly 50% of Indonesian peatlands had degraded since 1980
due to the logging, drainage, slash-and- burns, plantations, etc.
• Food security issues have been threatening the
peatlands.(Mega rice project, COVID-19)
Peatlands in Indonesia are being damaged rapidly, which
means one of the most critical carbon storages are being
devastated, and even carbon emissions from peatlands
are being accelerated.

6. Our research project for peatland restoration
Community Development Model
The Restoration of Indonesian Peatlands
SCIENTIFIC POLICY-ORIENTED PRACTICAL
+
Carbon Neutrality
Community welfare
CONTRIBUTIONS
6/22

7. 2 Research Project for Peatland Restoration

8. Outline of research project
▪ Title : A study of the ODA application through a community development model near peatlands in Indonesia
▪ Objectives
Relating with the international joint research as a new ODA project with CIFOR,
1) Technological Development of the peatland greenhouse gas reduction assessment
2) Development of a community development model for the restoration of forested peatlands around the
CIFOR-NIFoS joint research sites
3) Technical demonstration of the ODA projects for Indonesian peatlands
▪ Period of research : 2021~2025
▪ Subjects
1) Restore devastated peat swamp forests and establish local peatland governance
2) Assess the amount of greenhouse gas emissions sequestered through the peat swamp forest restoration
3) Develop a local economic development model through sustainable peat swamp forest management
4) Verify the evaluation methods to measure the effect of forestry ODA projects qualitatively
8/22

9. The Research Project at a Glance
Assess the amount of
GHG emissions
To be used for contribution
to the NDC
Develop a local economic
development model
Implement forestry ODA
objectives to support both
national economies and
SDGs of the beneficiaries
Peat Swamp Forest
Restoration
Measure the effect of
forestry ODA projects
Utilization of peat swamp
forest as a strategy for
expanding forestry ODA
projects
Local residents and
Stakeholders
9/22
Capacity building for GHG
absorption evaluation and
Establishing a sustainable value
chain and governance

10. Results : 1) The selection of research site and planting tree species
Perigi Village, Pangkalan Lampam Sub- District, Ogan Komering Ilir (OKI) Regency, South Sumatra Province, Indonesia
10/22

11. <Nyamplung tree 2 years after planting>
11/22
Results : 1) The selection of research site and planting tree species
<Malapari tree 1.5 years after planting>

12. * The standard of classification system of land cover in ESRI : total 10 (water, trees, grass, flooded vegetation, crops, scrub/shrub, built area, bare ground, snow/ice, clouds)
Results : 2) The classification of land cover with satellite images
12/22
CGLS ESRI
Satellite PROBA-V Sentinel-2
Baseline 2020 2019
Resolution 100m 10m
(a) CGLS (b) ESRI
<The comparison of CGLS and ESRI satellites>
Same land cover classifications of CGLS
and ESRI maps are considered as currently
activated land covers in this study.
(a) Classifying the identical
area of the land cover map and
the peatland distribution map
(a) Identifying the same land
cover classifications
(b) Determining the identified
area
(b) Final demarcation
of identified area
Determination of the field survey area (planned
2022) where the spatial data of peatlands from
CIFOR and the land cover maps from CGLS and
ESRI
Overlay analysis of land cover :
Overlay analysis between peatland to extract points of
agreement between land cover of CGLS and ESRI

13. Results : 3) The community development model
* Respecting traditionally accumulated knowledge and perceptions with financial assistance and capacity building
for processing, distribution and technologies
* A cooperative system of the locals, the local governments, the local academe and the donors
→ The peatland restoration models maximizing the local income are preferred
* Additional survey for crop planting to develop the models through the contingent valuation method (CVM)
13/22

14. 14/22
Results : 3) The community development model
A B
AGRISILVICULTURE MODEL AGROSILVOFORESTRY MODEL
▪ Additional survey for crop planting to develop the convergence models (A & B) through the contingent valuation method (CVM)
▪ Should consider the acceptance, preference and market access
Sources : the author’s contribution based on JICA Data collection survey on forest & peatland fire control and peatland restoration in Indonesia (phase 2): final report.
https://openjicareport.jica.go.jp/884/884/884_108_12300778.html

15. 3 SDGs and NbS for Peatland Restoration

16. SDGs
Biodiversity Carbon Sequestration
Afforestation Control Precipitation
Environment-friendly
Community
Secure Production
RESORATION OF
PEATLANDS
16/22

17. NbS
17/22
▪ NbS (Nature-based Solutions)
- (IUCN) Actions to protect, sustainably manage, and restore natural or modified ecosystems, that address societal
challenges effectively and adaptively, simultaneously providing human well-being and biodiversity benefits
▪ IUCN NbS self-assessment criteria tool
- To assess whether a developed model qualifies as an NbS;
1) Check survey period and subject, 2) Verify with the result of questionnaires, 3) The result concerning the eight criteria
▪ Survey utilization for the application of NbS and regular evaluations
- Preference investigation in advance and reflect the result into the project design
It is needed to restore degraded peatlands
and practical and sustainable benefits from
forests to the locals
⇒ The projects and policies which are
helpful both for human and nature
Background
Clear principles and standards are required
for eco and social-friendly policies and ODA
projects
⇒ Developing the new local standards for
ODA projects or utilizing the existing
ones
Necessity
Proposing the solutions for addressed social
challenges when launches forestry ODA
projects
Encouraging the stakeholders participation
and utilize the IUCN standard for a local
governance-based model
IUCN Global Standard for NbS

18. 4 Conclusion

19. Limitations and Future Plans
▪ Limitations ⇒ the impact of COVID-19
✓ Restricted field trips to Indonesia because of COVID-19
- Video conferences and E-mails were the only possible methods to contact
- Local survey, Local seminars for capacity building were not successfully implemented
▪ Future Plans
✓ Maintaining the continuous cooperation relationship with CIFOR and research partners
✓ Ecosystem service assessment and valuation depending on the scenarios of land use change in peatlands
✓ Promote active participation of the locals and continuing the research to be developed an ODA Project on restoring peatlands
19/22

20. Thanks for your attention
forgene@korea.kr