Peat Dried for Palm Oil, Deputy Minister of Environment Pushes for Canal Blocking for Water Reserves

GARISBUMI.com – EARTH LINES | Management of peatlands needs to be directed at retaining the water stored in them. Deputy Minister of the Environment Diaz Hendropriyono called for ending the practice of draining peat through canals and encouraged the construction of canal blocks to restore the water storage function.

In a statement from the Public Relations of the Ministry of the Environment/Environmental Control Agency (KLH/Environmental Management Agency (BPLH)), Diaz highlighted the creation of canals that channel water out of the peat so that the land can be planted with oil palm. He linked this practice to discussions of forest and land fires or forest and land fires in peat areas.

"Now there is a lot of discussion regarding forest and land fires on peatlands which can actually hold water," said Diaz.

According to him, the direction of management needs to be changed. Water needs to be maintained in the peat ecosystem through the construction of canal blocks.

Maintain peat as a water store

Diaz's message places the hydrological function of peat as an important part of efforts to maintain national water reserves. Attention to peat thus also includes its ability to store water, apart from the issue of forest and land fires which is often in the spotlight.

In the approach presented by Diaz, canal blocking is used to prevent water from escaping through the drying channel. The aim is to return water to the peat while maintaining the availability of groundwater reserves.