APFED Booklet on Good Practices and Innovative Activities 2005 ...

Indonesia
2007
Showcase
Improving Agricultural Practices in Peat Soil in
West Kalimantan
Project Site Location
2009
Background - Problems Addressed and Policy Responses
Peatland provides benefits to society by controlling floods,
hosting a diversity of species and in its potent action as a
carbon sink. In West Kalimantan, peatland is rapidly declining
due to human activity, including agriculture. The Indonesian
government has attempted to promote innovations in the
agricultural sector to cope with the several related problems,
which include fertilizers and the environment.
Field trip
2008
2006 2007
Project Outline - Objectives and Activities
The aims of this project are to promote the construction of a standardised on-farm irrigation system,
reduce zero burning and reduce the use of organic fertilisers and pesticides, thereby reducing the negative
impacts of agricultural activities on the peatland, which are over-drainage, peat subsidence, destruction
of peatland hydrology and reduced carbon sink potential. Activities in the project include construction of
demonstration plots, training, field visits and cross-site visits, and publication of leaflets and posters.
2005
Impacts and Achievements
The implementation of the project created a number of successful results, which had positive impacts
on the peatland. One example is turning arid land into cultivatable land via construction of an on-farm
irrigation system and use of organic fertiliser. The participating farmers demonstrated high motivation
for reducing the use of chemical fertilisers and growing new varieties of crops. The project improved
dialogue and cooperation between governmental staff and the local farmers, and also led to a policy
recommendation for the government of the District of Kubu Raya to create a programme to increase the
availability of organic fertilisers.
Future Challenges
This project showed that a combination of training, demonstration sites, and cooperation among different
stakeholders shows promise as regards improvement of agricultural activities with minimal impacts on the
peatland. The challenge for this project is to disseminate the practices to other farmers utilising peat soil
to grow crops on. The provision of education modules to educate farmers on suitable practices and the
tropical peatland ecosystem is one means of disseminating information and knowledge from this project.
General Information
Name of the Implementing Organisation:
Yayasan Swadaya Dian Khatulistiwa (YSDK)
Type of Organisation: NGO/CBO
Contact: Marcell D Lodo
JI. HuseinHamzah No. 90, Pontianak 78115 West Kalimantan, Indonesia
Tel: 0561-772411/775262 Fax: 0561-772411
E-mail: mdl_lodo@yahoo.com
Project Reviewer (NetRes / Collaborators) that monitors the project:
Qwanruedee Chotichanathawewong, Thailand Environment Institute (TEI)
E-mail: qwan@tei.or.th
Area
Climate Change 3R Biodiversity & Ecosystem Water Capacity Development etc. Others
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