Category: peatlands

Jambi Province Sumatra where 90% of fires are deliberately lite

by maximos62, posted in Asia, economics, environment, geography, Health, indigenous, Indonesia, Oil Palm Plantations, peatlands

Yesterday, I woke up and stepped out of my 19th-floor apartment, on the way to church. Passing the light well, its orientation one that scoops in sea breezes, the first thing I smelled was that familiar odour of distant fires. I realise now that it was probably blowing in from Sumatra's Jambi Province, Desa Rimau … Continue reading Jambi Province Sumatra where 90% of fires are deliberately lite

Unregistered Plantation in Riau Encroaching on Giam Siak Kecil Biosphere Reserve

by maximos62, posted in Asia, environment, geography, indigenous, Indonesia, Oil Palm Plantations, peatlands, Riau

Figure 1: Clearing on the margins of an unregistered plantation in the Siak Kecil area of Riau Province When I first saw this image it saddened me. I had already travelled through the region, not precisely this spot at 0° 59' 54.9996' N, 101° 53' 3.0012' E, but further to the north and west.  Travelling … Continue reading Unregistered Plantation in Riau Encroaching on Giam Siak Kecil Biosphere Reserve

#Change in Riau from closed canopy forest to plantations

by maximos62, posted in Asia, environment, geography, indigenous, Indonesia, Oil Palm Plantations, peatlands

This morning my colleague Prayoto Tonoto sent me a diagram. It illustrated the stages in the transformation of forests from closed canopy systems to the monocultural plantations that are such a major feature of Riau's landscape. In an earlier blog post, I made mention of these stages Stage 1: Selection Logging Selective logging over a 20-year period. … Continue reading #Change in Riau from closed canopy forest to plantations

#Indonesia’s #peatland is burning: the peatland burning #moratorium is failing in Riau Province, Sumatra

by maximos62, posted in Asia, environment, geography, Indonesia, peatlands

Indonesia’s moratorium on peatland burning is failing. Focusing on Riau province, the region with the most extensive of peatlands, in the period 1 to 8 March, 2018, there have been 99 fire alerts in the following areas: Siak 35 Pelalawan 30 Kepulauan Riau Kepulauan 29 Between 2 – 3 March seven hotspots were detected in … Continue reading #Indonesia’s #peatland is burning: the peatland burning #moratorium is failing in Riau Province, Sumatra