By Choirul Fuadi
Prof Azwar Maas, Researcher from agriculture faculty of Gajah Mada University (UGM) and chief of expert group of Gambut restoration board introduce software Early Warning System for Peatland Fire.
The software can detect the gambut (peat land) condition in an area based on biophysics condition, such gambut position and time of summer.
He states that the software can use in anywhere and anyone. He hopes, the software will assist in identification the gambut condition and how to handle it.
Smog disaster caused by fire land and forest almost done in every year in Indonesia. It also effects to people, not only in Sumatera and Kalimantan but also in Singapore and Malaysia.
Data from World Bank issued in early of 2016 showed that economic loss in Indonesian caused by smog in 2015 is IDR 220 trillion. Meanwhile, there are about 47 million people in Kalimantan and Sumatera which inhale smog and 19 people reported died on smog disaster.
The total area of Gambut in Indonesia is around 20,6 million hectares or 10,8 percent of total Indonesian area. By the number, 7,2 hectare or 35 percent is on Sumatera.
Gambut is natural resources that have function as water resource; handling the flood, sea water intrusion preventive, support of biological and control the climate by the gambut’s capability on absorb and save the carbon.
