GAMBUT ASEAN Peatland Forests Project Malaysia Component Special Publication Contents Introduction Expedition 1 Foreword 20 The NSPSF Scientific Biodiversity Expedition 2 The APFP 21 Significant findings 3 The Malaysia Component of the APFP 21 Seminar on the expedition NSPSF Peat Profiling 4 Saving a swamp 22 Profiling Malaysia's peatlands 22 Assessment of aboveground carbon stock changes in pilot site 23 Peat soil correlation tour Pilot Site News 6 World Wetlands Day 2013 Fire Forecasting 6 Outer boundary demarcation in progress 7 Virtual Peatland Education Centre launched 24 What is the FDRS? 7 Royal support for peatland conservation 25 Fine-tuning the FDRS 26 ASEAN FDRS workshop 26 Peatwatch system Paperwork 27 Fire hazard map for NSPSF 8 National Wetlands Policy to be revised 27 Booklets on peatland firefighting 8 National Action Plan for Peatlands adopted 8 Selangor Action Plan for Peatlands and Demo Sites Blueprint for Kuala Langat South Forest Reserve 8 Manual for agriculture on peatlands 28 Demonstration sites 9 Integrated Management Plan for NSPSF 29 Peatland sites to be considered for ASEAN (2014-2023) Heritage Parks nomination 29 BMP for peatland management CSR Awareness 10 Replanting 11 Corporate partners 30 Raising awareness 12 Partners in the buffer zone 30 Awareness material 32 Media coverage Rewetting 12 Check dam design guideline Comic Strips 13 Plugging the leaks in NSPSF 34 Gambut 36 Forest fire fighters Local Community 14 Friends of peatlands Snapshots 15 Local community fights fire 38 Photos of events 16 Nurturing green entrepreneurs 43 Photos from the NSPSF Scientific Biodiversity Expedition 17 Peatland Forest Rangers Notes Capacity Building 18 Lifelong learning 44 Acknowledgements 45 Abbreviations THINGS YOU NEED TO The APFP KNOW ABOUT PEAT & 7 PEATLANDS The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Peatland Forests Project (APFP) entitled 1. What is peat? “Rehabilitation and Sustainable Use of Peatland Forestsin South-East Asia” isa four(4)yearproject Peat is a type of soil that is composed of at least 65% partially decayed organic matter derived from dead and that aims to demonstrate, implement and scale up decaying plant materials under high water saturation integrated management of peatlands in Southeast conditions. Asia. 2. How is peat formed? Launched in 2009, the project’s overall objective is Peat is formed when plant material, usually in wet areas, to promote sustainable management of peatlands is unable to fully decay because of acidic and anaerobic in Southeast Asia in order to sustain local conditions. livelihoods by reducing poverty, reducing the risk 3. What are peatlands? of fire and associated haze, and contributing to Peatlands are wetland ecoystems characterised by global environmental management, particularly accumulation of peat. biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation. 4. Why are peatlands important? Peatlands support unique biodiversity, mitigate flood as The global environmental objectives are to reduce well as provide a critical economic resource for the local the rate of degradation of peat swamp forests and communities living in and around them. As the world's support their rehabilitation to maintain single largest land-based carbon sink, patlands also biodiversity,carbonstorageandclimateregulation play a key role in regulating the global climate. Although covering just 3% of the world's land area, peatlands functions. store more carbon than all of the vegetation on earth. The APFP consists of five (5) components, i.e. a 5. What types of peatlands are there? Regional Component that focuses on developing a Half of the world's wetlands is made up of peatlands. strong framework for partnership between all Examples of peatland ecosystem include bogs, moors, ASEAN member countries; as well as four (4) mires, permafrost tundra and peatswamp forests. Country Components for Indonesia, Malaysia, the 6. How much of the world's tropical peatlands Philippines and Viet Nam. are in Southeast Asia? The ASEAN Secretariat is the executing agency for The most recent estimate puts this figure at 56%. APFP while the GEC provides technical support for PeatlandsarefoundinallASEANMemberStates,butare more extensive in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei overall management and implements the regional Darussalam and Thailand. component. The project is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) through the 7. Where are peatlands found in Malaysia? International Fund for Agricultural Development Peatlands cover around 8% of the total land area of (IFAD), with co-funding from participating Malaysia. Sarawak has the largest area of peatlands in countries and the European Union. the country, while significant areas of peatlands are found in a number of other states, in particular Sabah, Pahang, Selangor, Johor and Perak. 2 Introduction The Malaysia Component of the APFP The objective of Malaysia Component Government-Linked Companies, i.e. Theoriginalprojectperiodwasfour(4) of the APFP is to promote sustainable Selangor Agriculture Development years (2010-2013), with an extension management and rehabilitation of Corporation (SADC) and Kumpulan period of one (1) year to 2014. peatlands in Malaysia through capacity Darul Ehsan Berhad (KDEB). building, improved inter-sectoral Based on the overall APFP framework, management and demonstration of Agrantsub-agreementfortheMalaysia the project framework for the Malaysia best management practices at a Component of the APFP was signed Component includes a total of 28 main selected pilot site. The component between the Government of Malaysia activities arranged under 11 outputs th continues from previous projects and the ASEAN Secretariat on the 15 and four (4) outcomes. of April 2010. carried out in the country which used a In implementing the Malaysia multi-stakeholder approach to address With the signing of the sub-agreement, Component of the APFP, all of the the main issues pertaining to peatland the Malaysia Component, funds relevant agencies involved in areas management. totaling USD880,000 from the relating to peatland management were Thepilotsiteselectedwasthesouthern International Fund for Agriculture brought together under two (2) main section of the North Selangor Peat Development (IFAD) and the Global platforms, i.e. the National Peatland Swamp Forest (NSPSF). The site spans Environment Facility (GEF) were made Steering Committee (NPSC) chaired by 4,000 ha, of which 2,000 ha falls within available. A trust account was set up by the Secretary General of the Ministry of the Raja Musa Forest Reserve (RMFR) the Ministry of Finance, Malaysia in Natural Resources and Environment under the management of the Selangor October 2010 to administer this fund. (NRE) and the National Peatland Working Committee (NPWC) chaired State Forestry Department, while the The Forestry Department Peninsular remaining 2,000 ha sits within by the Director-General of Forestry Malaysia (FDPM) is the APFP National Peninsular Malaysia. alienated land managed by Selangor Project Executing Agency for Malaysia. Project Outcomes and OUTCOME 1 CAPACITY AND INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK FOR SUSTAINABLE PEATLAND MANAGEMENT Outputs of the Malaysia IN MALAYSIA STRENGHTENED Component OUTPUT 1.1 Policy and planning framework for peatland management strengthened at national level. OUTPUT 1.2 Capacity for sustainable peatland management in Selangor strengthened to support the up-scaling of good peatland management practices. OUTPUT 1.3 Peatland Education Centre at pilot site (NSPSF) established as a focus for educational and awareness activities. OUTPUT 1.4 Component technically supported. OUTCOME 2 THE DEGRADATION OF PEATLANDS IN MALAYSIA DUE TO FIRES MINIMISED OUTPUT 2.1 Status and trends of Malaysian peatlands determined. OUTPUT 2.2 Degradation of peatlands by fire in Selangor reduced. OUTPUT 2.3 Guidelines for integrated peatland management developed and promoted. OUTCOME 3 BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AT SELECTED DEMONSTRATION SITES IDENTIFIED AND PRACTISED OUTCOME 3.1 Sustainable management options for peatlands showcased through demonstration sites. OUTCOME 3.2 Integrated management strategies for NSPSF and buffer zone adopted. OUTCOME 3.3 Rehabilitation of degraded peat swamp forest demonstrated in RMFR and adjacent buffer zone. OUTCOME 4 GUIDELINES FOR SELECTED SECTORS RELATING TO PEATLAND MANAGEMENT PREPARED AND ADOPTED OUTPUT 4.1 Sustainable economic activities in buffer zone of NSPSF enhanced. 3 Saving a swamp The effort to rehabilitate and conserve the North Selangor Peat Swamp Forest For its wealth of valuable timber Fire and water degraded by fire linked to the trees such as the Meranti bakau canals. Around 3,500 ha of this (Shorea uliginosa) and Ramin The differential pressure created area is now covered in lallang. melawis (Gonystylus bancanus), by the canals served to draw out the North Selangor Peat Swamp water from the surrounding peat Land grabs Forest (NSPSF) has had a long soils, thus lowering the water table The forest edges were especially history of commercial logging; one and drying out the peat. Forest vulnerable to encroachment by that stretches back to the 1940s. fires became the norm in these areas during each dry season from illegal settlers hungry for land as A variety of methods including the early 1990s onwards. well as unscrupulous conmen out laterite tracks, railways and canals to make a quick buck by selling off were used by generations of Usually sparked by land clearing parcels of the degraded land loggers over the decades, in an activities in and