The severely damaged peatland ecosystem became the first priority for restoration followed by badly damaged and moderately damaged ecosystem, he noted during a media meeting held by the Peatland and Mangrove Restoration Agency (BRGM) here on Tuesday.
According to the ministry's data in 2022, some 15,859,860 hectares, or 65.45 percent, of the peatland ecosystem is in a mildly damaged condition, while 3,086,654 hectares, or 12.74 percent, of the ecosystem are moderately damaged.
In addition, 1,053,886 hectares, or 4.35 percent, of the peatland ecosystem are badly damaged and 206,935 hectares, or 0.85 percent, are severely damaged.
Meanwhile, 4,024,285 hectares, or 16 percent, of the peatland ecosystem are not damaged.
Indonesia's peatland ecosystem spans an area of 24.667 million hectares comprising 865 peatland hydrology units (KHG).
The ecosystem data collection during the 2015-2022 period was conducted on 294 KHG.
In 2020, a new index was introduced, called the Land Quality Index, comprising the Land Cover Quality Index (IKTL) and Peatland Ecosystem Index (IKEG), Reliantoro explained.
The IKEG result in 2022 shows that only nine provinces -- Jambi, Bangka Belitung Islands, Riau, West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, East Kalimantan, North Kalimantan, Papua, and West Papua -- had reached the target.
The 10 provinces of Aceh, Bengkulu, Riau Islands, Lampung, West Sumatra, South Sumatra, North Sumatra, South Kalimantan, West Sulawesi, and Central Sulawesi had failed to meet the target.
"(It is) because the data is still one year old, so we cannot yet see whether the trend for each province rises or declines. Maybe after this year, next year, we can obtain a more complete performance overview," he remarked.
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Translator: Prisca Triferna, Fadhli Ruhman
Editor: Sri Haryati
Copyright © ANTARA 2022
