TEMPO.CO, Palangkaraya - Peatland Restoration Agency (BRG) will restore 679,573 hectares of peatlands in Central Kalimantan. The restoration will be carried out within five years, especially in the heavily degraded areas, such as Pulang Pisau District, said Nazir Foead, the BRG boss, during a dissemination of the BRG work program at Central Kalimantan Governor office yesterday.

Central Kalimantan is one of the top seven priority provinces in the program of peatland hydrological function restoration. The restoration will be carried out from 2016 to 2020.

Based on the BRG data, of total 2,681,441 hectares of petlands to be restored, the biggest area is Sumatra with 1,972,749 hectares and Riau with 938,485 hectares. Other peatlands in South Kalimantan, West Kalimantan, Jambi and Papua will also be restored.

The program will be initiated with disseminations at Pulang Pisau, especially a meeting with the residents of Garung Village, Jabiren Raya Sub-district, Nazir noted. Restorations will also be carried out concurrently this year in Meranti Islands District, Riau; and Ogan Komering Ilir and Musi Banyuasin Districts, South Sumatra, Nazir said.

Director Executive of Save Our Borneo (SOB) Central Kalimantan Nordin has called on the Peatland Restoration Agency to keep its promises. The agency must adopt ‘due care’ approach because Central Kalimantan people are traumatized of the past peatland issues, he said. “Peatlands have always had some issues,” he said.

KARANA W.W.