Developing water management objective on tropical peatlands under oil palm cultivation

Less attention to peatlands for various economic development activities have led to the emergence of serious environmental problems. The problems are floods in the rainy season, fires in the dry season and increased carbon emissions. This paper aimed to examine physical and hydrological characteristics to develop land management plans. The research was conducted on peatlands used for oil palm plantations. The study concluded that the available drainage system generally indicates excess discharge (over drainage). Water retention efforts proved effective in secondary channels and are able to raise the water level of 20-30 cm higher than the uncultivated peatlands (no water retention). Fluctuations in groundwater levels in the period from August to September on the cultivated peatlands showed that the groundwater is deeper than the uncultivated peatlands. It determined greater value of evapotranspiration of oil palm plantation. If the floodgates do not exist, then the groundwater becomes deeper than the cultivated peatlands. In the January-February period of the groundwater in the cultivated peatlands can be increased to 20-30 cm under the soil surface, but on the uncultivated peatlands without controlling the water level drops at the position 40-50 cm below the soil surface. Thus the concept of water retention became the main purpose for water management in peatlands.