However, he expressed his pride for the society’s accomplishments as well as Tropi’s contributions in helping to provide feedback for the government to formulate policies as far as peat is concerned. Sarawak. Support from UCS members make work like this possible. archive.wetlands.org Is currently undergoing maintenance. Peat domes are sensitive ecosystems, such that changes (e.g. Land … Muhammad Aqeel Ashraf, PhD, is a Senior Lecturer at Faculty of Science and Natural Resources, University Malaysia, Sabah.His field of interest is environmental soil science. “Collect data and from that data we can derive certain solutions in order to face challenges when we use peat as part of our economic development,” he said. The institute was initially established as the Tropical Peat Research Laboratory Unit (TPRL) under the mandate of the … And many studies (like this one) have shown that planting oil palm on peat soils leads to carbon dioxide emissions. A study on peatland in Peninsular, Malaysia was conducted to determine stratigraphy of peat layer, bearing capacity, physical properties, unconfined compressive strength and consolidation properties. However, these plantations must follow a certain set of best practices guidelines by the end of 2015. Tropical peatland forest is a unique dual ecosystem of both rainforest and peatland. What a Relief! Photo: Paul Hilton Photography. “Our objective is not only for Sarawak, not only for Malaysia. are overlain with substantial formations of peat soils, almost unrivalled when compared to other parts of Malaysia. Please note that comments are open for two weeks following each blog post. The area of peatland within palm oil concessions, however, is much larger, and many are unplanted but … “Do further research and try to convince the world that carbon emissions is not only because of peat. The poor inherent physical properties of peat such as low bulk density, high water-table and rapid subsidence rate make its development for oil palm … Field investigation: For laboratory investigation, peat soil was sampled from the Klang, Peninsular, West Malaysia. Help UCS advance independent science for a healthy environment and a safer world. … Ecosystem-scale methane fluxes from tropical peat ecosystems in Sarawak, Malaysia. Abang Johari stressed that Sarawak has to do it that way if it were to face any challenges ahead. Most of Malaysia’s peatland comprises peat swamp forest, which is said to be a critically endangered category of forested wetlands, and is usually located in coastal areas in all states except … Abang Johari also pointed out that it is unavoidable to build roads, bridges and settlements on peat and that the people also have to survive. This research was conducted from November, 2007 to February, 2008. Will Renewables Finish Ahead of Coal in 2020? Karen Perry Stillerman | December 21, 2020, Maria Cecilia Pinto de Moura | December 21, 2020, Jessica Collingsworth | December 17, 2020. These soils are transported to their present position by rivers and streams. Tags: Malaysia, Palm Oil, peat, Sarawak, Tropical deforestation. Doesn’t that mean that more than enough degradation has taken place at this point? Information on methane emission in pineapple cultivation on peatlands is scarce. 5 Reasons Clean Fuel Standards are the Secret Key to Decarbonizing Transportation, Another Reason Energy Costs are Higher in Winter, Contracts to Burn: How Long-Term Fossil Fuel Contracts and Power Purchase Agreements Lock In Pollution, Top Four Ways that the Biden Administration Can Center Environmental Justice Reform, Five Years on, Keeping the Hope of the Paris Agreement Alive and Strong, Why We Need Antiracist, Feminist Leadership on Climate and Energy. supports the largest area of peat soils in Malaysia: 1,697,847 ha (69.08 % of the total peatland area in. The Malaysian Palm Oil Board states that Sarawak has about 1.6 million hectares of peatlands. And the costs of not protecting peatlands are indeed high for both the local communities and the planet! Radiah Othman, PhD, is an Associate Professor and Head of Land Management Department, Faculty of Agriculture, University Putra Malaysia. Peat soils encompass 2,457,730 ha (7.45%) of Malaysia’s total land area (32,975,800 ha). The behaviour and composition of these peats are different from each other, … Ask a Scientist: What Must the Biden Administration Do to Protect Federal Science? We also do not want to pollute the environment,” he said, adding that he is convinced MPS and Tropi will be able do it. “What is important is scientific evidence. In this age you can use artificial intelligence (AI) and data analytics. Scientific research is important to us. Please come back at a later time. And I definitely agree with your assessment. Sarawak is rich in peat soils, so this new policy could have real implications for where oil palm plantations can expand in that state. Further, Wilmar’s policy doesn’t prohibit it from sourcing from the 29 percent of palm plantations currently established on peat, only that those plantations use best management practices to reduce carbon emissions and environmental damage. In his speech at the Malaysian Peat Society (MPS)’s 10th anniversary celebration at Sarawak Tropical Research Institute (Tropi) last night, he shared about how once a delegation from European Union (EU) tried to advise him on the danger of exploiting peat land, but could not produce convincing reasons. Nur Azima, B. SUMMARY Peatland in Malaysia covers approximately 2.76 million hectares of which 796,782 hectares are in Peninsular Malaysia (Law and Selvadurai, 1968), 200,600 hectares in Sabah (Acres et al, 1975) and 1,765,547 hectares in Sarawak (Melling, 1999). However in Malaysia, peat soil is described and generally termed as basin and valley peat. Can’t Wilmart and other companies get enough palm oil from the 71% of the land which is not on peatlands? It looks like you and your colleagues are making some great contributions to the field of tropical peat literature. To help maintain a healthy, respectful discussion, please focus comments on the issues, topics, and facts at hand, and refrain from personal attacks. PDF : 3. The SOPPOA is making claims that currently there are no credible scientific studies to justify the policy of ‘No Peat’ planting because all planters in the Sarawak adhere to the Malaysian Palm Oil Board’s Best Management practices for planting on peat, which they claim are scientifically sound and sustainable. With so few intact or only slightly degraded peatlands, it is critical that we prioritize protection of these lands. As organic material decays, the embodied carbon, much of which has been building for thousands of years, is released as carbon dioxide. In highly saturated anaerobic soils, … Clean Energy 2020 Year in Review: Midwest Progress, Rebuild Arecibo Observatory: One Scientist’s Reflection on Advocacy and Research, Clean Energy 2020 Year in Review: 3 Bad-News Stories, 2 Good, 1 Write Your Own Ending. It is a 100% organic product and is a proven natural alternative to mined peat moss, therefore using it helps slow down peat … Malaysia … Tropical peat is formed when vegetation, such as dead branches or leaves, does not decompose fully, storing carbon in dead organic matter. All of these statements are scientifically untrue. draining for agriculture) in one part of the dome could have cascading effects elsewhere. He said construction of roads on peat soil poses great engineering challenges to Sarawak, as compared to road construction in Peninsular Malaysia where peat soil is almost non-existence. So any degradation of peatlands is too much! However, major … The key facts seem to be that only 10% of peatlands remain intact or only slightly degraded. He has published more than 100 research articles on the topic. Earlier, Abang Johari noted that it has not been a smooth journey for MPS in the past 10 years as it faced many challenges from environmentalists on peat and carbon emissions. ― Borneo Post, Covid-19 vaccine free for Sarawakians, says CM as Malaysia signs deals with suppliers, Health D-G: Another rabies-related death reported in Sarawak, No new Covid-19 cases in Sarawak today as Uggah resumes SDMC duties ahead of schedule. That should be our way forward. During particularly dry years, such as 1997, fires burning peat and vegetation in Indonesia released an amount of carbon equivalent to 13 to 40 percent of mean global carbon emissions from fossil fuels. This clean coir has natural rooting hormones and anti-fungal properties. “We must have scientific evidence to show whether something is right or wrong. Posts that are commercial, self-promotional, obscene, rude, or disruptive will be removed. We must try to get scientific evidence. UCS welcomes comments that foster civil conversation and debate. Will Congress Let Clean Energy Momentum Stall Out During COVID? ... Serbajadi Jiffy 7 Peat … In its introduction, these guidelines make the point that, “It is the prerogative of any government to develop its land resources for the socio-economic benefit of its people.” However, it does not then necessarily follow that these practices are, as stated previously, “scientifically sound and sustainable.”, A worker carries an oil palm sapling onto smoldering peatlands in the Indonesian province of Sumatra. On the other hand, Sarawak is committed to have clean energy. We are looking at how we can bring this research agenda to governmental levels in the Malaysian context. But it’s the announcement by Wilmar, the largest trader (and one of the largest producers) of palm oil, that is likely to have the greatest impact on the palm oil industry. It remains to be seen how implementation will occur. UCS believes it is important to protect all tropical peatlands, regardless of depth because of their importance in carbon sequestration and biodiversity. For example, some non-peatlands are forested, and it is important to protect these forests as well. These are soils high in organic matter content. FREE SHIPPING in Peninsular Malaysia for orders above RM200.00. The Sarawak Tropical Peat Research Institute (STROPI) was founded in the year 2008. To contribute to the comments and general discussion here, I’d like to draw your attention to a paper published this week on ‘Research agendas for the sustainable management of tropical peatland in Malaysia’ (available for download here: http://eprints.gla.ac.uk/92219/). High water tables in peatlands limit the amount of oxygen that reaches the organic material. Peat soils in their natural state are wet with very high water table near to the soil surface. Major Soil Types in Malaysia and Soil Classification 1.0 Introduction 2.0 Major Soil Type 2.1 Residual soils 2.2 Glacial soils 2.3 Alluvial soils 2.4 Lacustrine soils 2.5 Marine soils 2.6 Aeolian soils 2.7 Colluvial soils 2.8 Organic soils and peat 3.0 Soil … While high water tables are responsible for preventing the organic material from decaying, the flipside is that when these peat soils are drained, they are again exposed to oxygen. ha - Some are successfully developed for short term crops, pineapples and oil palm Main issues - Less peat swamp forest - Over drained, subsidence - Fire (newly developed area) Development on acid sulfate soil Coco Peat makes an excellent growing medium for hydroponics, soil mixes, and container plant growing. Malaysian Peat Soils are Different from Temperate Peat Soils and Have Lower Co2 Emissions. Peat soils are classified as histosols. This particular exercise are indeed high for both the local communities and the of. 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