By Mr Faizal Parish, Global Environment Centre, Work on Peatlands in South East Asia / Networking

1. ASEAN Peatland Forests Project
(APFP)
Regional Collaboration for fire prevention and
sustainable management of peatlands in SE Asia
Faizal Parish, Chee Tong Yiew, and Chin Sing Yun
APFP Regional Project Executing Agency
International Conference on Wetland Forests
Brunei 22-23 March 2012
Regional Project
Executing Agency

2. Presentation
Peatlands in Se Asia
Fire and haze
Brunei issues
ASEAN responses
Fire prediction and warning
Best management practices
Collaboration

3. Peat Swamp Forest is the main
wetland type in Se Asia
Kampar
Sumatra

4. Peatlands cover 25 million ha in Se Asia
Source: Sarvision
RPEA
ASEAN Peatland Forests Project (APFP)
:

5. Peatlands provide water and prevent floods

6. Peatlands have high Biodiversity

7. Peatlands Feed
People in Peat swamp Forest in Pahang communities
Fishing, Pahang, Malaysia
Source: UNDP-GEF PSF Project

8. Peatlands support communities
Jelutong - Chewing Gum tree, Indonesia

9. Peatlands regulate climate
CO2 CH4 CO2 CH4
ГВ N2O

10. .
Peatlands in SE asia store 70 billion tonnes of carbon
twice as much as all forest biomass

11. Peatland degradation and fires lead to GHG
emissions and haze

12. Peatland fires lead to transboundary Smoke haze
MODIS image June
2005 -
Red dots: fires
Courtesy MODIS Rapid Response
Team

13. Smoke Haze is the most serious regional
environment problem in ASEAN
1000 km
© NASA TOMS

14. Badas pipeline road, Brunei

15. Sand mining in peat - Seria Bypass

16. Transboundary Peatland

17. Institutional Frameworks
developed by ASEAN Member
States
ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze
ASEAN Peatland Management Initiative
(APMI) & ASEAN Peatland Management
Strategy (APMS) 2006-2020
National Action Plans on Peatland (NAP)
APMS identifies key actions related to
integrated peatland management, fire
prevention, maintaining carbon stores and
minimizing GHG emissions.

19. ASEAN Peatland Forest Project
Support implementation of ASEAN Peatland
Management Strategy 2006-2020 and NAPs
Finance: IFAD-GEF, co-funding Governments, EU
Development of pilot projects in 4 ASEAN countries –
Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Viet Nam;
Brunei, Singapore, Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia and
Lao PDR involved in regional activities
Identification and promotion of BMP for peatland
Peatland Fire Prediction and warning system
Promoting and demonstrating BMPs
Implemented 2009-2014

20. Development of the ASEAN Peatland Fire Prediction &
Warning System (Southern ASEAN Region)
Fire Danger Rating System
– operated by Malaysian
Meteorological Department oOverlay of
FDRS maps on
peatlands
Regional Peat Fire oOverlay of
Maps of peat areas
Prediction & Warning Hotspot maps
and fire-prone
System on peatlands
peat areas
oAlert System
Hotspot Monitoring –
operated by ASEAN
Specialised Meteorological
Centre oWeb
oEmail Disseminate to
oSMS etc end users
RPEA
ASEAN Peatland Forests Project (APFP)
:

21. Daily Operational FDRS
Weather data system 300 stations Existing FDRS configuration
WEATHER OBSERVATION
Bawil I
Medan
Satellite
Real time Weather data Decode 16.00 LST
Geostationary
Satellite (GMS)
Polar Orbiting
Satellite (NOAA)
Aircraft
Aerosonde
Radiosonde
Bawil II
Satellite
Ciputat
Seawatch
Buoy
CMSS MAIN DATA SERVER
Maritime
Shiping observation observation Bawil III BMG VSAT
Denpasar Link Satellite dis h CCU1 CCU2 STRATUS CUMULUS
Weather Radar
Rainfall
station
Bawil IV
Surface observation Ujung Pandang
station
Automatic weather Satellite Control Router
Station (AWS) Station
Cisco 2611
Bawil V Switch 100 mbps
BMG LAN
Jayapura
Modem DOV BACKBONE
Router
Cisco 2509
DATA ENTRY
Computer 1 Computer 4
Computer 2 Computer 3
Indosat - British Telecom
Frame Relay
Telephone
Meteorological
Center Climate & Air
Quality Center
RDBMS
FDRS &
GIS
NMC RMC processing
Melbourne Singapore
Internet Multimedia
Studio
Fire Danger
Fire Danger
Fire Danger Long Term Forecast
Short Term Forecast
Daily Information Monthly and Yearly
Weekly synopsis
Seasonal External Agencies
Forestry Dept, Agriculture &
Web Web
Web, Monthly Report Plantation Dept, LAPAN, BPPT,
Seasonal Publication
Environtment Dept, NGO,TV media, etc
FDRS maps processing
(16.15 LST)

22. FDRS INTERPRETATION
FIRE WEATHER INDEX
CLASS FIRE FIRE
CHARACTERISTIC SUPPRESSION
S DIFFICULTY
LOW Creeping surface No control problems
fires unless fire is deep
burning
MODERATE Surface fires may Fire can be
spread vigorously controlled by direct
or with moderate attack with hand
fire intensity* tools and water
HIGH Fast spreading or Fire control requires
moderate to high power pumps and/or
intensity fire fire break
construction using
mechanized line-
building tools
EXTREME Fast spreading or Very difficult to
high intensity fire control. Indirect
attack using drip
torches from control
lines may work
National Scale

23. Increase station number from 39 to 168
39 station
Peninsular - 26
East Malaysia - 13
168 station
Peninsular - 132
East Malaysia - 36

24. Pilot Project the State of
Selangor, Malaysia
10 June 2011
Risk of fire in drained peat in
North and south Selangor
Regional Project
Executing Agency

25. http://www.met.gov.my/fdrs/
● Zoom to Peninsular & East Malaysia
● Google Map
● Peatland area

31. Danger rating used to guide preventive measures
and allocation of resources and facilitate patolling and
warning action

32. Cooperation with plantation sector to
prevent fires

33. Promote BMPs eg Good water management .

34. WATER RETENTION ALONG COLLECTION
DRAINS (one weir for every 20 cm difference
in water level)

35. Avoid impacts on adjacent
peatlands

36. Block Abandoned drains

37. Community fire prevention and control

38. Peatland Nursery Technique
Wilding From seed

39. Rehabilitate degraded sites

40. Conclusions
Peatland degradation and haze is a common problem in ASEAN
countries
By working together countries can develop common solutions
Coordination and exchange can enhance effectiveness and
learning
Engagement of communities, private sector and local
government is key to changing actions on the ground
Common approaches and standards as well as joint action can
lead to rapid progress
Brunei should enhance its involvement in the implementation of
the ASEAN Peatland Management Strategy including fire
prevention and rehabilitation and transboundary cooperation.

41. Thank you