The Village of Kuala Dua in Kubu Raya district, West Kalimantan, is interspersed with 400 hectares of protected peatland forest in critical condition due to encroachment. Land use changes for residential, commercial, and unsustainable agricultural practices have accelerated deforestation, loss of biodiversity, soil degradation, and increased fire risk. The peatland’s poor ability to absorb and retain rainwater has created water insecurity, potentially leading to social unrest due to resource competition.
USAID IUWASH Tangguh works in Kuala Dua using an integrated sustainable landscape management model with multiple stakeholders. In partnership with the Provincial Environment and Forestry Office (DLHK), the project aims to ensure the quantity, quality, and continuity of raw water in the peatland by increasing the capacity of local farmers to play a vital role under the social forestry scheme. Through a community-based approach, the project promotes best management practices and encourages collective action by engaging the government, corporations, and the community.
In February 2024, IUWASH Tangguh and the district’s Forest Management Unit engaged local smallholder farmers and organized an agroforestry training to promote innovative sustainable farming practices. The star of the training was Saban, a Kuala Dua farmer who practices organic farming and closed-loop circular farming management that minimizes waste and optimizes resource use.
Saban has practiced circular farming since 2021 as part of his efforts to restore degraded peatlands. The peatland’s distinctive acidic character makes it difficult to retain the macro and micronutrients farmers need to grow crops. To address this, Saban uses a homemade bio-enzyme by mixing rice bran, pineapple, shrimp paste, palm sugar, and chicken manure. Additionally, he uses sediments from his catfish pond as organic fertilizer. His technique reduces chemical residue and minimizes impact on the landscape, which helps increase biodiversity, balance soil nutrients, and improve its ability to absorb and retain water. “Essentially, Kuala Dua residents want to properly manage the forest,” said Saban, “so that it benefits the environment and the people by preventing forest fires and providing a source of livelihood.”
During the training, Saban demonstrated how to make bio-enzyme to participants and will share it once it is properly fermented and ready for use. He also promoted agroforestry, encouraging them to plant perennial crops between seasonal vegetables in their plots. One training participant, Khosidah, decided to adopt the circular farming approach after learning that making and applying bio-enzyme is easy and inexpensive. As a woman farmer who owns a small rubber tree plantation, she realized that her plantation could significantly contribute by applying agroforestry practices. “I am glad to know that my rubber trees can help the environment,” she said.
USAID IUWASH Tangguh assisted Saban and others in registering their forest farmer group (Kelompok Tani Hutan) with the DLHK. Once legalized, they can benefit from DLHK’s support, including free tree seedlings and permits to manage the protected peatland forest. Through knowledge sharing, capacity building, and a participatory approach, USAID IUWASH Tangguh has helped local stakeholders collectively address complex challenges in improving raw water quality and quantity in the peatland forest, which is crucial for the environment, water utilities, and communities.
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