Summary of workshop results

Suyanto from ICRAF presented CIFOR-ICRAF research on community fire management and impacts in the wetlands of southern Sumatra. Fire is an important community wetland management tool. Burning is not controlled and widespread, repeated fires have transformed the landscape from mature high swamp forests to fire-adapted Gelam (Melaleuca cajuputi) forests, open savannas and grasslands. Large-scale developments such as commercial logging, building canals, draining and transmigration projects have contributed to the spread of fire-based land management.

Local communities extract fish, wood and other resources from the wetlands.Fire is used in the course of these activities to enable access to the resource and ease camping in the wetlands.With the depletion of commercial timber, the communities harvest the lower-value Gelam.They also cultivate swamp rice (sonor) in the wetlands in long drought years, using fire to clear the land and provide nutrients for the crops.The sonor system and fire use has expanded and intensified in recent years following degradation of the swamp forests through logging and the increased frequency of long drought periods.Paddy yields are significantly high and sonor is currently a major source of income in drought years.The decline in fish and high-value timber resources has, however, led to falling incomes and fewer livelihood options.Workers now migrate into neighbouring forests to extract resources.Baharudin, a local community representative from the study site, Air Sugihan, confirmed that livelihood options were very limited in the swamps and fire use was critical.
Djoko Setijono from the Bilateral South Sumatra Forest Fire Management Project (SSFFMP) in Palembang also confirmed that villagers use fire for fishing and swamp rice cultivation in the wetlands.Swamp fire use is not based on any sustainable traditional practice.Active participation of the communities is required to resolve the peatland fire problem and this is the approach being developed by the SSFFMP project for South Sumatra.Given the importance of fire for the local economy, ways to regulate burning would be explored including building canals as fire breaks.Also, alternative livelihood opportunities to reduce fire use would be identified.Joko Kiswanto from Dinas Kehutanan Jambi objected to building canals as fire breaks as they would tend to drain the peatlands.
Ahmad Samodra from LPHPEM (an NGO) suggested that communities were unaware of long-term conservation needs.However, Wilistra Danny from the Ministry of Forestry, Jakarta indicated that it was normal for the communities to prioritize their livelihood needs over long-term resource conservation.He felt it was important to increase local awareness about the environment, and strengthen local institutions and regulations to reduce the fire problem.Suyanto from ICRAF responded that there was a trade-off between local and global interests and resolving this conflict may require providing incentives to communities for sustainable practices.
Hasanuddin from Dinas Kehutanan South Sumatra noted that fire was formerly viewed as a forestry sector problem but the importance of community perception and participation is increasingly being recognized.South Sumatra contains vast areas of highly fire prone wetlands which have been severely affected by frequent widespread fires in the last two decades.There is no quick way to resolve the peatland fire problem as it requires finding alternative livelihood options and altering community behaviour.The department is actively promoting community-based fire management in the province with technical assistance from the SSFFMP project.
Idris Sardi from the NGO Yayasan Prakasa Mandiri, Jambi was concerned that communities appeared to be getting an unfair share of the blame.He asserted that company activities on wetlands were major sources of fire.
Summarized below are the key issues and recommendations for solving the problem fires related to community wetland management.These arise out of the papers, talk show and group discussion highlighting the perspectives of the key stakeholders -Community (Comm), government agencies (Govt), NGOs, research and development agencies (Res/Dev).

II. Plantation development and management
With dryland areas already extensively developed, the wetlands of Sumatra are increasingly the focus of economic activities, including large-scale forestry and oil palm plantations, particularly in Riau and North Sumatra.The companies believe that the peatlands are suitable for large-scale tree plantations because they are vast and largely uninhabited, with few land claims, unlike the dryland areas.Forestry plantation companies such as PT Arara Abadi and PT Riau Andalan Pulp and Paper (RAPP) are in the lead in terms of forestry plantation development on peat.
Darjono from BAPEDAL Riau Province spoke about the legislation and enforcement regarding fires in timber and estate crop plantation concessions.From 1997 to 2001, 51255 ha were burnt in Riau, of which 33000 ha were in timber and estate crop plantation lands.From 1995-2003, 49 companies were investigated for using fire in land clearing operations.Only two of these companies were finally convicted.The zero burning law is difficult to enforce because of the vastness and remoteness of the wetland concessions, limited resources and expertise, lack of company cooperation and lack of field insurance for the investigators.
Olle Wennstrom from PT Arara Abadi stated that between 2002 and 2003, the area affected by fires within their concessions had reduced from 12500 to 600 ha.He acknowledged that a wetter year was a factor in fire reduction, but a significant role was played by their increased fire fighting capacity, fire prevention and community extension programs.He was confident of their full capacity to fight and manage peatland fires.They have a strict no-burn policy enforced by agreement with all contractors working in their area.They try to help the communities on the concession boundaries to implement zero burning or controlled burning measures in their agricultural land clearing operations.They also work with the local government to handle illegal logging operations within their concession.Pt Arara Abadi, PT RAPP and four other companies have formed a Haze Prevention Group.
Eliezer Lorenzo from PT RAPP talked about the lack of available drylands and the resulting increase in pressure on the vast peatland areas for development of timber and estate crops and local agriculture.Meanwhile the peatlands were also being degraded through illegal logging, fire use and improper drainage systems.So far there has been no clear penalty for the companies charged with violating the zero burning law passed in 1997.PT RAPP has a strict no-burn policy enforced since 1994 and believes in sustainable wetland development.So far they have planted 50000 ha of the 70000 ha allocated for development on the peatlands.Forest plantation development on peatland involves a lot of challenges in terms of minimizing peat subsidence, land clearing without fire, reducing fire risks, and protecting against fires originating on the concession boundaries.Also Acacia plantations need dry conditions and thus water management is critical.They are also involved in community extension activities as part of the fire prevention and awareness building program.
Questions were raised by Indra Arinal of Wetlands International and Hari Subagyo of PT Putra Duta Indah Wood regarding the appropriateness of trying to grow dryland species such as Acacia on wetlands given all the associated risks of massive environmental degradation.They asserted that it may be better to protect the natural forests for their conservation value on wetlands, and establish forest plantations on drylands in partnership with local communities.Also, a question was raised about increasing access and fire hazards through canals developed for the plantations.Eliezer Lorenzo from PT RAPP responded that Acacia was growing quite well on their wetland concession and that the canals were not connected to the rivers, thus limiting access.He stated that wetland development policies originated from the government and not from the companies.The policy was aimed at agricultural development and poverty alleviation.Population and degradation pressures are increasing and the wetlands have to be used, preferably in a sustainable manner.Eliezer argued that timber plantations would be a more favourable option for peatland development than annual agriculture or estate crop development since they provide more efficient carbon sinks and require less nutrients.They also cause less peat subsidence than annual cultivation.
Rully Syumanda of the NGO, WALHI from Riau stated that since 1995, industry has been using slash and burn practices to convert land to estate crop and timber plantations in Riau.In addition massive exploitation of the forests, since the 1980s, had left them in a degraded condition and increased their flammability.He suggested that the reasons behind the widespread forest degradation are government policies that allow large-scale conversion, granting of timber utilization permits to companies, global demand for palm oil, and the overcapacity of the pulp and plywood industry.With regional autonomy, the local government has focused on rapid exploitation of the forest resource, with no concern for local livelihoods and the environment.No strong punitive action has been taken against the violators of the zero burning law.Also, the burn prohibition can be bypassed with special permits from the authorities.
There is a need for clear and strong disincentives to companies who violate the zero burning laws and incentives for companies who abide by it.
Bandono Suharto from Dinas Perkebunan Riau Province stated that Riau had multiple fire spots, the monitoring of which takes up a lot of time.Peatlands are very vulnerable to fire and difficult to access.They had limited facilities, equipment and funds to deal with the peatland fire problem.About 390,000 ha of wetlands in Riau was reserved for development into estate crops.Regulations regarding conversion of forest areas to estate crops are in the hands of the Ministry of Forestry.
Summarized below are the key issues and recommendations for solving the problem fires related to plantation development and management on wetlands.These arise out of the papers, talk show and group discussion highlighting the perspectives of the key stakeholders -forestry plantation companies (HTI), government agencies (Govt), NGOs, and researchers (Res).

III. Remaining natural forest areas (production and protection forest)
The high swamp forests that once covered the majority of the wetlands (including peatlands) of Sumatra have been reduced to a few remote sections and scattered fragments.Commercial logging, large-scale wetland reclamation for transmigration and plantation development, as well as livelihood pressures have been important factors in this transformation from the late 1960s to present.The last remaining large sections of high swamp forest are in the province of Riau, and in the Berbak-Sembilang Conservation area and surrounding timber concessions in Jambi and South Sumatra.
These remaining forests are at high risk from fires.Peat forest burning results in peat degradation, acidification of water, increase in flammability, substantial haze and carbon emissions, and loss of forest products and biodiversity.Once degraded and subject to continuous high human pressures, peat forests are difficult to regenerate.
The peat swamp forests of Berbak National Park and neighbouring timber concession, PT Putra Duta Indah Wood in Jambi have been subject to repeated burning in the last decade, most extensively in the 1997 drought.Andri Ginson of Berbak National Park and Hari Subagyo of PT Putra Duta Indah Wood indicated that the forest fires are associated with logging activities (both by concession staff and illegal loggers), NTFP and fish extraction, agricultural encroachment, and agricultural fires spreading from the forest boundaries.Fire is an invaluable tool, in both agriculture and in the course of logging and hunting in the inhospitable swamp forests.At present, they have no alternative land clearing methods to promote to the communities.Improper swamp management, primarily the building of canals also plays a critical role in fire incidence.
Fire prevention and suppression systems are in place but fires are difficult to locate, reach and extinguish in the inaccessible, easily flammable peatlands.Managers also suffer from a lack of equipment and resources for the task as well as timely information on fire locations.They have done some community extension work, such as awareness campaigns, but they need to take care of the underlying causes of the fires in order to be effective -i.e.reduce uncontrolled burning and reasons for community entry into the forest.This requires improving local livelihoods, rehabilitating the degraded forests, identifying and promoting controlled burning and zero burning methods, and involving communities in fire management.
Forest managers and NGOs suggest that forest fire problems have increased following decentralization and conflicts between central and local land allocations.Other NGO representatives add that institutional capacity and commitment to fight the forest fires is low and there are no standard guidelines for use.Burnt forests, on occasion, were inappropriately handed over for plantation forestry development.
Communities perceive state control of the forests as inequitable and have no incentives to protect them from fire.Sakimin and Edy Candra, local community representatives near Berbak National Park say that paddy yield on drained peatland is low, livelihood options are limited and people are forced go into the peat forests.The communities use fire for clearing land to plant estate crops and paddy since it is the cheapest and easiest way.The fires cause health problems and soil fertility declines over time.Also, the farm fires often spread into the forests given their degraded condition and communities' lack of awareness about fire control.They suggest improving the local economy, promoting controlled burning and local regulations for fire use, and involving local people in fire control activities.
Alternatives to burning such as gathering debris and allowing it to decay on site, as nutrients for the crops could be explored.They are prepared to help protect against forest fires but lack infrastructure, tools, and timely aid.There was also a need for forest and peat rehabilitation and improved water management in drained areas.
Rivani Noor of the NGO WALHI-Jambi stated that fire use is not all bad, as some communities practice traditional fire management.He suggested that illegal logging, large-scale draining and land conversion using fires in the swamps and lack of law enforcement were the key problems.Fire risks need to be taken into account in development policies.Community participation in policy making and fire control is essential to sustainably manage the peatlands.Satya Ismunandar from PT RAPP, however, indicated that traditional practices and regulations may be breaking down with large-scale socio-economic transformations and need to be readjusted.There was an overall need to increase expertise in peatland fire management among all stakeholders.
Irwansyah Reza Lubis of Wetlands International indicated that burned areas need assisted rehabilitation to reduce their flammability and speed up the recovery process.
The best way to achieve this is through community-based integrated management, involving all the stakeholders from bottom up.This strategy is being pursued by the Canadian-funded project "Climate Change, Forest and Peatlands in Indonesia" in Berbak-Sembilang Conservation Area, where Wetlands-International is working with the villagers, PT Putra Duta Indah Wood, and the National Park office.They will work to rehabilitate the burned forests, close inappropriate canals, provide alternative incomes, and limit community activities in the peat swamp forests.Attention is also paid to the development of local institutions, conservation management plans, environmental awareness, funds and rewards for communities, clear land ownership, and community-based fire patrols and suppression.
Summarized below are the key issues and recommendations for solving the problem fires related to the remaining natural forest areas.These arise out of the papers, talk show and group discussion highlighting the perspectives of the key stakeholders -local and transmigrant communities (Comm), government agencies (Govt), forest concession company (HPH), NGOs.

IV. Transmigration settlement and agricultural development
Up to 1994, 3.3 million ha of wetlands in Sumatra, Kalimantan and Sulawesi were drained and reclaimed for transmigration or resettlement of people from the crowded islands of Java, Bali and Madura.About 1.6 million households were resettled on the wetlands.Plots of 2-3 ha per household were assigned for permanent crop cultivation and settlement.The land was prepared for agriculture through logging, draining and burning.Rice is the main crop cultivated.Agroforestry crops such as coffee and coconuts are also grown.
In South Sumatra alone, 320673 ha were reclaimed from 1969 to 1988 with 54671 households resettled on these sites.Anton Sugianto, the community representative from the Air Sugihan Kanan transmigration area, OKI, South Sumatra discussed the difficulties with agriculture on the drained swamps.Problems included lack of water in the dry season, pest infestations, low soil fertility and high acidity.They do not have funds for the kind of site management and inputs required to cultivate on the swamps.Fire use was critical for annual cultivation, to provide nutrients for the crops and get rid of the weedy vegetation.Herbicides were not as effective as fire use.
From 1981 to 1990, rice yields were satisfactory.But since the forest fires of 1991, 1994 and 1997, there have been serious problems with rice cultivation.The researchers in the group suggested that the declining yields are probably due to reduced fertility over time with frequent burning.Also, agricultural land abandoned by many transmigrants was a source of pest invasion.
With the failure of agriculture, many transmigrants have left.Others have taken to sonor, Gelam extraction, and informal logging in neighbouring forest areas.The transmigrants are looking at tree crops like coconut and oil palm to help improve their livelihoods.Plans to develop such tree cropping funded by local investors already exist in the area.The community has also developed regulations for agricultural burning to prevent fire escapes.Anton asserted that farm fires were not the source of the forest fires of 1991, 1994 and 1997.
From the research perspective (Robiyanto Susanto), annual burning in the drained transmigration area leads to peat subsidence and decreases long-term nutrient content.But at the same time, it helps clear the vegetation cheaply and conveniently, provides ash for the crops, neutralizes the acidity, brings the minerals soil closer to the surface and provides a better rooting zone.The transmigrants do not have many alternative livelihood options.The adjacent peat forest was also the water catchment area for Air Sugihan Kanan, and burning and alteration of the hydrological structure there affected the water quality and quantity in the transmigration area.
Developing new transmigration projects in the swamps is not a good idea.A lot of such developments have failed because of peat subsidence, difficulties with water management, acid sulphate conditions and low fertility.Draining also increases flammability drastically.In long drought years, farm fires on drained peat can lead to widespread destructive fires.
In existing transmigration sites, branching out to tree crops might be a good idea.
Local tree species, coconut and oil palm are preferable to planting Acacia sp.The deep-rooting dryland Acacia sp.require considerable drainage, are not very productive and increase fire risks.Shallow-rooted oil palm which can also withstand longer flooding is preferable, but large-scale expensive operations are required for economic success and may be out of the reach of smallholders.
According to Ahmed Zuber, Dinas Transmigrasi, South Sumatra, the problems with transmigration development is really one of poor implementation of policies on the ground and uncoordinated efforts.Burning for land clearance in transmigration areas is now forbidden.The current problems on existing sites have to be fixed.
The NGO participants suggested that more research was required on peatland agriculture and sustainable development options, including the land compatibility for different crops.• Many doubts about sustainability of peatland development for large-scale plantations and agriculture because of big failures in the past.Fire risks very high.Difficulties with water, soil and fire management.Rice cultivation not a suitable practice on drained wetlands.Doubts about sustainability of Acacia plantation development on wetlands as well.
• Large peatland areas are now under development focus.Need clarifications on land use allocation for conservation and development, and the scientific basis of the regulations.
• Weak law enforcement and support of zero burning for companies.
• Fire use is critical for communities in all settings and activities in the wetlands and there are no alternatives to fire use in sight.Burning is not controlled and swamp fire use is not based on any sustainable traditional practice.Fire-based land management is intensifying with landscape degradation and population pressures.
• Impoverished communities inhabit the marginal swamps with limited access to capital, high-value resources, sustainable livelihood options and profits from large-scale plantations.Agricultural yields are low and they depend on remaining

Summary of key fire issues and concerns in wetlands of Sumatra
They believe tree crops such as oil palm and coconut could work, based on past experience in the area.Market development would be required.
•Swamp forest degradation and increased flammability with logging, draining, development and increased populations.