Ex-Mega Rice project
Major land development projects have been commenced either without independent environmental impact assessment or a proper understanding of the tropical peatland ecosystem. One of the largest single development projects in SE Asia has been the Million-Hectare Mega Rice Project (MRP) ― an ambitious attempt aiming to convert massive tropical peatland area into rice fields in Central Kalimantan. The MRP-project was run 1995 – 1999, and it was stopped because continuous rice cultivation proved to be impossible in 90% of the planned work area. At present the ex-MRP affected area covering about 1.5 Mha is almost a treeless and non-productive wound in vast peat-covered landscape; a legacy of over 4600 km long network of malfunctioning drainage- and irrigation canals, rapidly oxidising peat, and an endangered terrain susceptible to outbreaks of large-scale fires.
Extensive fires during 1997/1998, promoted in large degree by land clearance practices, resulted in the burning of over one million hectares of peat swamp forest and underlying peat. Smoke from the fires shrouded many towns and exposed 20 million people across Southeast Asia to harmful smoke-borne pollutants for months. According to the government of Indonesia, total losses because of forest fires reached USD 9.3 billion in year 1997. Again, year 2001 and later hundreds of hot spots have emerged in drainage affected peatlands, and severe haze has covered Borneo and surrounding areas. With burning vegetation, also peat allocated nutrient pool and seed-bank may be lost in fires, and thus the potential for forest vegetation re-establishment and/or area suitability for agriculture are seriously endangered.
Key words in finnish: tropiikki, troopiset suot, suo, eroosio, hiilidioksidi, ilmastomuutos, tulipalo, palo, päästöt, savusumu, köyhyys, Indonesia
Further information will be provided by Jyrki Jauhiainen and Harri Vasander
