Restoring Central Kalimantan’s Peatlands, One Watermelon Crop at a Time
After the devastating peatland and forest fires of 2015, the Government of Indonesia put a strict ban on burning land for agriculture. An important measure to decrease the release of carbon dioxide into the environment and restore a vital ecosystem, the ban necessitated new farming techniques and, for some farmers, changing crops.
Rina from Henda in Central Kalimantan now grows watermelons—a plant that can thrive on peatlands without the land having to be burned. She formed a community farmers’ group, which received technical support from UNOPS on environmentally friendly farming techniques, including training in the cultivation of new crops like watermelon, as well as transportation and marketing.
“Fires break out often, and when they do, women fight the fires themselves, to protect the environment, our family’s health and crops,” she said.
Rina’s community farming group is one of many in Central Kalimantan that has benefited from the UNOPS project’s e-commerce system, which promotes sustainable community enterprises, leading to economic revitalisation through new peatland-based income-generating activities.
UNOPS’s support to the Indonesian Peatland and Mangrove Restoration Agency (BRGM) over the last three years has reached over 67,000 people. “Integrated peatland restoration models restore the ecosystem while revitalizing livelihoods—a benefit to both people and the environment,” said Akira Moretto, Acting Country Manager of UNOPS Indonesia.
