TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesia may get Rp500 trillion per annum from carbon trading if it can preserve peatland from degradation and committed to pushing the use of unexploited peatlands for agriculture.

Indonesian Peatland Restoration Agency (BRG) chairman Nazir Foead said that the Rp500 trillion fund is equal to 1 gigatons of carbon. It will be achieved if Indonesia is able to preserve 6.2 million hectares of unexploited peatlands from a total of 19.4 million hectares of peatland in seven provinces.

“Our main focus this year is [preservation efforts] in four districts in Central Kalimantan, South Sumatra, and Riau. West Kalimantan will only start next year,” Nazir said Thursday on the sidelines of a discussion on peatland in Pontianak, as quoted by Bisnis Indonesia.

Nazir said that aside from preserving peatlands from degradation, a strong commitment from policy makers is also needed. The central government and provincial governments must focus their energy to preserve peatland area in seven provinces designated by BRG by engaging local farmers and residents.

“West Kalimantan has 660,000 hectares of peatland which has been burned and degraded from a total of 1.6 million hectares of peatland. Going forward, we will improve water management, plant something. Plants will maintain peatland humidity. Failing that, it will dry out easily,” he said.

National peatland restoration program has cleaned up 15,000 canals by blocking and backfilling. In addition, BRG has also established 1,300 deep wells for peatland rewetting, seeding, and replanting.

Restoration efforts have been carried out by BRG in seven provinces, namely Riau, Jambi, South Sumatra, West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, South Kalimantan and Papua. “By 2020, the market will be ready, Indonesia will be able to trade carbon,” he said.

BISNIS.COM