Activities for preventing peatlands fire in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia

Aswin Usup

Head of Research Center for Forest Fire and Land Rehabilitation of Palangka Raya University Email: [email protected]

Contents • Briefly about Peatland fire behavior and fire dynamics • Activities for preventing peatlands fire • Introduce Unpar and villages Fire Fighting Team in Central Kalimantan

What is Peatlands fire? Crown fire Brands

Surface fire

Spotting

Peat fire Peatland fires

Surface fire

Peat fire

Crown fire

Type of peat fire 50

1. Surface peat fire Depth (cm) Depth (cm)

20

0

10

Ash

30

Fire front

Peat soil

40 cm

Fire front Ash

200 cm

20

Overhanging 15

150

0

2. Subsurface peat fire

0

100

Peat fire spreading rate -1

Peat fire front

Mean

Peat fire spreading speed (cm h ) Max imum Minimum

SD

N

Surface peat fire

3.83

6.49

1.73

1.41

20

Subsurface peat fire

1.29

2.50

0.50

0.64

20

6.49 cm/h x 24 hours = 156 cm/day 2.50 cm/h x 24 hours = 60 cm/day

Peat Moisture 0

Smoldering Zone Ash

5

10

100 cm

24%

52%

42%

5

31%

62%

63%

10

61%

68%

70%

15cm

Peat soil

5

Smoldering zone

10cm

Temperature in peat layer during a fire event

Peat fire damage Change of micro topography Initial peat surface

Depth (cm)

0 20

Peat surface after burning

40 60

Peat soil

80 0

10

20

30

Canal Peat loss by fire: Maximum = 80 cm Averages = 56 cm Measured at 1 m interval A part of measurement area

40m

Scheme of tropical peat fire dynamics Initial fuels Crown : 7% Surface :10% Ground :73% Ground fuels composition 0-50 cm Grass root :18% Woody peat: 5% Fine peat : 25% Coarse peat: 52% Peat moisture GWL < 40 % (db) 70-80 cm depth Volatile matter 17 - 52%

Surface fire >600oC

Ignition point Surface peat fire

Peat soil

Initial stage

Front Temperature 275oC Flaming and Glowing temperature 300-400oC

Peat soil

Spread rate Calorific value 42-155 cm/day 19 kJ/g Subsurface Penetrated Fire peat fire penetration 50-60 cm

Degradation rate Potential fuel Flaming and 1.1-3.9 mg/min for next fire Glowing season temperature 300-400oC Volatile matter < 20%

Mass loss 8.27 kg/m2 Calorific value 18 kJ/g

Peat ignition • Bush • Secondary peatland • Often by wildfire • Ignition: 255-277oC • In crack and woody

Heavy damage

Spread rate 12-60 cm/day

Degradation rate 0.5-1.4 mg/min

Fire prevention activities in Central Kalimantan

Regular Fire patrol and Early action

Peatland Areas

Fire prevention activities

Information dissemination at village level: Radio community, TV, poster, etc

Development of network of meteorological station, GWL, and Hotspots monitoring

EWS: Production of fire risk map, Rainfall map, and GWL map

Equipments and operational funding for community-base fire fighting

Establishment of deep wells and water pond in high risk areas to support fighting

Setting up regulation at village and Regency level

Improving structure of peatland degradation, with blocking canal and reforestation

Education and training Local People Community based fire management

Income Generation

Community based Plant management

Difficulty 1.

2.

3.

Rainfall ------> Forecasting of rainfall for 1-4 months Hotspot ------> Provided in wide area, and quite difficult to download website. Ground Patrol-----> Accessibility

Ground Water Level in Palangka Raya

20 0

GWL, cm

-20 Mean 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002

-40 -60 -80

Critical depth of GWL

Surface fire

-100 J

F

M

Fire hazard

A

M

J

Peat fire

J Month

A

S

O

N

D

Rubber plantation of local community in Gohong village

UNIVERSITAS PALANGKA RAYA

FIRE FIGHTING TEAM OF PALANGKA RAYA UNIVERSITY A vision, mission, activity and strategy

Unpar Fire Fighting Team 43 members

2. Network of the Unpar Fire Fighting Team Government of Central Kalimantan

University of Palangka Raya

Unpar’s Fire Fighting Team

Training & Education Village’s Fire Fighting Team

Prevention and suppression

Village’s Fire Fighting Team

The area of Unpar Campus

Village’s Fire Fighting Team Villages Area Villages Area Villages Area

Prevention and suppression

Strategy for peatland fire control in Central Kalimantan If an area of the village is not burn

Rewards

Fire season

Activity Fire Patrols

Fire Prevention

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Fire Prevention

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Surface fire Income generation

Incentive

Peat fire

Income generation

Unpar’s fire crew in Pulang Pisau 3 September 2005

Central Kalimantan map with show of 25 villages with Fire Fighting Team (CKPP Project)

Photos training of the village fire Team (Community based fire management)

Grandong di Maliku

Photos training of Farmer (Community based Plant management)

The sources of fire in Central Kalimantan Arson 5%

Others 5%

Cooking , 15%

Cigarettes Cigarettes 20% 20%

Land

Land Clearing,clearing 55% 55%

Control 75% wildfire will be reduced

Settlement

Fire as a tool for Land Clearing

Fire as a tool for Land Clearing

Land clearing

Fire as a tool for Land Clearing

Logging

The factors Controlling the peatland fire CLIMATE S. Radiation

Humidity

Wind

Temperature

GROUND

Litter Wood debris Woody peat Peat Matrix G. Water

PEATLAND FIRE Land clearing Canal

Farmland

Settlement

Deforestation

HUMAN IMPACTS

Grass Forest Plant

VEGETATION

Rainfall