Sunday 31 January 2010, Bandar Seri Begawan – A public lecture on `Tropical Peatlands and their environmental importance' was given by Dr Susan Page from University of Leceister, UK, at Universiti Brunei Darussalam.

Among those who attended the talk were the British High Comissioner to Brunei Darussalam, Rob Fenn and Dato Paduka Haji Hamdillah Haji Abdul Wahab, the Deputy Minister of Industry and Primary Resources.

The lecture focused mainly on the tropical peatlands found in Southeast Asia. The range of ecosystem services that this region's peatlands can offer to society is decreasing at a rapid and alarming rate. Results from several studies have found that deforestation, drainage and an increasing incidence of fires have contributed to the loss and degradation of this habitat, resulting in a severely compromised biodiversity, large atmospheric greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, regional pollution events and an increased incidence of flooding.

The talk concluded with the address of responses of tropical peatlands and peat swamp forests to a changing climate and considers the scope for mitigation, for example, through ecosystem rehabilitation and upcoming initiatives to support avoided deforestation and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.

Dato PadukaHaji Hamdillah expressed his concerns on the preservation of peatlands swamp which takes up almost 70 to 80 per cent of Brunei Darussalam in relation to the Heart of Borneo projects and the appeal of ecotourism in the country.

In response, Rob Fenn stated that in relation to the peatland swamp preservation in Brunei, a joint research between UBD and UK, has been done. Once the evaluation has been done, a discussion will take place on specific areas that are not to be disturbed.

He said that this research project is time-consuming and needs to be overseen by experts to be made into corporate evaluation.

Dr Susan Page is currently under the Department of Geography at the University of Leceister, UK and holds the position as Director, Physical Geography Research Group. She has more than 20 years experience in research on peatland ecosystem. Her research activities include areas such as ecology and functioning of peatland ecosystems, role of deforestation, impacts of forest loss and degradation on the tropical carbon cycle and sustainable management of natural resources which have received both national and international recognition.

One of her major achievements was being appointed as an advisor to a masterplan project funded by the Dutch government for 1.5 million hectares of degraded forest and peatland in Indonesia.  ~ Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin



CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS, IT CENTRE
MINISTRY OF INDUSTRY AND PRIMARY RESOURCES

Sources
Writer: Farah Ahmadnawi
Website: http://www.brudirect.com